17 May 2007

About this blog: FAQ style

Why do you call yourself Amélie Anonymous?
I want to remain as anonymous as possible. I have chosen Amélie as the patron saint of this website because in the movie Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, she becomes inspired to perform random acts of kindness for the strangers and loved ones around her. In enriching other people's lives, she found that her own became enriched.

Why do you wish to remain anonymous?
I want to be sure that I'm not doing this for my own glory. Often, people will do something small in hopes that others will say things like “She's so generous!” or “Wow, isn't she wonderful?”. And other times, people will do nice things for others and expect something in return. I wanted to be sure that neither of these things happened. I don't think people always need to be recognized for their gifts of service. Performing the gift of service is a gift within itself.

How did this website come about?
When I watch the news each evening there are always three or four reports about “senseless acts of violence”. While I'm not in denial that violence does occur, it is my belief that “senseless acts of kindness” occur, too. People just don't hear about them. By providing a local forum for people to thank others for anonymous acts of kindness, Austin can be reminded that there is still goodness in mankind.

What do you do?
For a living? Let's just say that my job is flexible enough for me that I can find adequate time to blog and read Craigslist. For fun? I do this and occasionally indulge in some online shopping.

Can you tell us anything more about you? How old are you?
I'm female and I live in Austin. That's all I can say. Of course, you're free to guess. My favorite so far is “i guess I have to assume that you are a ugly big fat girl”. Yes, that is very much a possibility! That's an email quote from a man who was unhappy that I would not tell him more about me and whether or not I'm single. But truth be told, I don't want my identity to be narrowed down any more than it already is by my writing style. I don't think the blog's purpose is dependent on my identity. Would it matter if I'm a 16-year-old student or an 80-year-old grandma? I say it doesn't matter at all.

What's the point of this? Do you really think it's going to make a difference?
In a cheesy way, kind of like that Haley Joel Osment/ Kevin Spacey movie (Pay it Forward), I sure hope so. In a non-cheesy way: the purpose of this blog is three-fold:

  • To make Austin a better place one kind act at a time.
  • To encourage others to take time out to do good.
  • To use this blog as a place to thank anonymous do-gooders.
How can I get involved?
Simple. Start doing nice things for people. Print out our “You're It!” cards to see how your good deed may have affected someone's day (or life). I will make pre-printed cards available for the public if there is enough public interest in them.

NOTE: I'll keep updating the frequently asked questions as more and more questions come in. If you have anything to ask me, please feel free to send me a message to atx [dot] anonymous [at] gmail [dot] com.

No comments: