The Assist Goes to the Flow
(FROM THE EDITOR: Meet Danny. Danny is in training to be on the circuit as a Pro Hockey Player and as luck would have it, is super passionate about the mission behind ATOD Magazine™. He is the newest contributing writer AND will be my East Coast Correspondent for the new WebSeries. His first piece is full of passion and purpose and this is why it’s a fitting introduction. Danny Triesler is precisely that: Passionate, Kind, Driven, and is ALL heart! Danny – we are honored to have you on board.)
Every once and a while we all get inspired by the “random act of kindness” button in the back of our brains. It will sometimes be pushed by something we see or feel, possibly both. When it boils down to sacrificing your personal appearance to show that act is commencing, I am all in. Being a college ice hockey player, the style (or ” sty “) that comes with this particular act of kindness makes it that much more awesome. Hockey players strive for style in many ways, but the most recognizable feature would be their hair. Also known as “the flow”, “lettuce”, “mane”, or “the beard of the mind”, long hair looks good coming out of the back of the bucket. Some do it for style, but then there are some who do it for purpose.
Hockey players are known for their grit, willingness to cope with pain, and doing what ever it takes to win on the ice (and I mean anything). These key points to the sport do not take away from the big hearts that we as athletes (of the greatest sport on earth) have off the ice. Many different leagues around the hockey world are well known for having the highest socially active athletes within their communities and even better, the most liked and loved. The NHL (National Hockey League) has strong ties with many types of Cancer awareness organizations, and does everything possible to inform the public at every game and with every advertisement. So, the least that we can do as players is to give to those who have less and deserve much more.
There is an organization devoted to strengthening the souls and spirits of those whom have been suffering with the illness, and in my opinion, it has allowed the public to give all they can to the cause. This organization is called LOCKS OF LOVE, which allows anyone to grow out their hair, and when those long locks have passed the length of 10 inches, they can donate it to the charity. The hair is then constructed into a wig for PEOPLE (not patients) with cancer, to create a more interior and exterior love for themselves and life as they deal with their illness.
I am not going to do this because it is “the thing to do” and all of my friends are doing it. This desire is something that naturally comes from the heart, a desire that we all as humans possess within us. We all live on this planet together: we all suffer and we all feel pain. Why wouldn’t we help each other? Who else would do it, if we, the ones who all breathe the same air, would not? Will we save lives? Maybe. Can we save everyone? No. There is one thing that we can do, and that is live, love, and enjoy life, making others feel that same passion as you do. That is my goal. I will be taking pictures every month for the next twelve months until that time comes to chop the mop and give what I can grow to the people who cannot. Please send photos of your journey, as we are all in this fight together. And remember, even if it is for a few minutes a day, try to make a difference.
For more about Locks of Love, please visit: www.locksoflove.org
1st stages of growth – June 2013
Danny Triesler LOCKS of LOVE June 2013
