WHAT IS LITTLE PLANET?

I have had the fortune of traveling to many parts of our weird and wonderful world doing weird and wonderful things, sometimes for happy reasons and sometimes for not so happy reasons. In my travels and the subsequent adventures, I have had the further fortune of experiencing many things which at times have left me in awe and at other times have left me with questions which I doubt we will ever be able to answer. Sharing my time between the military and civilian life has brought together a bubbling cauldron of questions which are often challenged by sanity and reality itself but one thing is for sure:

In many ways, life could be considered to be about luck: Luck as to where you are born, luck as to whom you are born to, luck as to the country which sees you become a member of the good ol' human race, luck of the fact that you were born with all parts functioning or no parts missing, with parents that actually cared. Yes, it's true that so many are born with everything in their favour but again life is about choices and if some of these people choose to throw all of that away for some moronic ideal, why should those who did not have this luck be judged in the same light? Sure our world is full of freeloaders and other such types but can a little one really choose?

You don't need to do much to bring a smile to a face or to make one last minute matter...

Some years ago I started visiting hospitals. Prior to that, I had often visited hospitals in sadder times to greet hurt colleagues and often to close a book. My ideal in these new visits was simple: If I could dedicate just one day a year to do something, something simple, not charitable for those little kids who were stuck in hospital with terminal diseases, then I believed that this would greatly alter the life of those children and for just one moment they would be able to be relieved of the terrible burden carried by their tiny shoulders. Even more though: if I could entice just one other person to do the same, then there would be two of us and maybe someday three. On one particular occasion, during the start of the Santa Claus Project, I met a little lady called Rose. She was 4 years old. Rose had suffered a kidney infection and at the time we got there she was dying. Rose's parents had, on her becoming ill, taken her to a traditional healer who could not truly help. Her little kidneys had failed and there was no hope. A mere lollipop (sucker) became her central focus point and she enjoyed that sucker like nothing else in the world mattered. According to the doctor, this was her first smile. It was also to be her last. It was 1430 and Rose passed away at 1600. 4 years old. Only 4 years old. I came to the realisation that the little effort I had made had meant the world to this abandoned and lonely child. How do you explain death to a 4 year old, you cannot, so why not rather make the last little bit shine?

Rose is only one of the wonderful little people whom we met and in many cases, thanks to her inspiration managed to help in many ways. The Santa Claus Project was born, soon followed by the Easter Bunny Project. Now I would like to challenge all of you around the world to help the Little Planet Movement spread across the globe. There is no beneficiary, no money being sent or received...only little guys and girls who can benefit from a simple hug. That's all that is asked: one hug.

It's time we get over ourselves. We all have too many issues, too many theories, literally most of us are just plainly "full of it" at some stage. So come-on, what can you lose? I am probably the worst of all of us in many ways. I am a centre for mistake making, a loser and a winner all depending on the day and the occasion and yes, I am more busy than you and would be glad to prove it, so you have no excuse. The past time alone has been most interesting and busy with two new companies being formed and currently in growth, a job change, an unneeded rejection of note...the list goes on, so yes, you do have time. It just takes one second of your time.

Read the "Join Little Planet Page" and see how to get involved.

Rose...your short passage in our lives helped brighten the world.

You were and always will be beautiful.

One Smile, stands out more than you can imagine...