You should see my stash. I hadn’t taken much more than a passing glance at it for a while.

I used to love to knit, crochet, sew, serge, bead, tat, weave . . . . I still have a room full of the equipment, supplies, yarn, bolts of fabric, boxes of beads, etc. There is no time to mess with it anymore, but I have it. A room full of good intentions. I just can’t let it go. Someday . . . . .

Women in third world countries could use these things. Were it not for ridiculous details like shipping, paying duty, English instructions, parts replacements. But thing is . . . . . I spent my mad money on this excess. Millions of women in the world are wishing and praying for something to make something from so they can feed their kids, let alone a bite for themselves. Just not fair. My excess could be their substance. My back basement could be their Disneyland.

I’m saying this to reflect that I don’t know much about microcredit. I believe in it, I lobby for it, encourage Drew and Jerry and many other good hearts who are passionate about it and who have seen lives changed let alone saved first-hand, by the smallest of offerings. I’d known of KIVA since its inception and were proud of friends who were on fire for it. I’ve known people in leadership at RESULTS’s Microcredit Summit Campaign, at Oikocredit, and many other organizations. My tiny mind can only go in so many directions, some days not many directions at all. Each day, 27,500 children under five die everyday from adverse effects of extreme poverty according to Save the Children. And when you’re the mom, one is too many.

But even though I no longer dabble in this stuff, I put more than the minimum investment for a loan into things like, say, an espresso card. Or pizza night. I could wimp out and say things like the gas tank or the groceries, couldn’t I? But that would be just another excuse.

Bottom line: I don’t know much about microcredit and I over-process it too much, it’s really probably quite simple. I don’t need to know about electricity to know that a switch will turn the light on. Or that my $25, in the hands of a microcredit organization, can be more lasting and satisfying than even a free evening in my craft stash. I can even choose who I would like to contribute to, so if I see a crafter, sewer, or beader that I can relate to, I can do so. I used to crochet prayer shawls . . . . . I could set aside hunks of time to stitch Linus blanket squares or preemie hats for Save The Children, or one of many other worthy causes. But were I not to, I would still eat, as would my son. And get my almost-daily mocha. Just a matter of recalibrating my priorities and being a little less unselfish. I’ve seen many a microcredit loaner become addicted to it . . . . there are worse things!

But like so many other opportunities, we have the hard work done for us. Others have researched it, located needy people, laid the details out for us, set up secure payment options, and gotten Charity Navigator ratings, which is the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval on charities. Drew and Jerry here have rightly put this on our front burners — thanx guys. I just need to throw the switch to turn the light on.

Out of excuses here.