This is how we are going to fund my Dad's Solar Hydrogen project

My Third Grade Idea

When I was in third grade, I was a Girl Scout. My Mom was the Scout leader and responsible for ordering all of the cookies to earn money to pay for the troop’s activities. I remember my Mom telling all of the girls that they were working together towards a common goal and that we should all do our best to increase the “cookie revenue” so that we can help pay for other Girl Scout troops in the Phoenix area.

To be honest, I just wanted the badge so I could add it to the rest of my badge collection on my uniform. It’s amazing what someone will do for a circle patch.

See, I had a plan to get that badge.  Back when I was a Girl Scout in the third grade, there weren’t so many rules, unlike today. To earn the badge today, Junior Girl Scouts must complete at least five activities, including Safe Sales.  I’m pretty sure that my plan would not have worked in today’s standards of Safe Sale and all that jazz.

What was the plan? I got up before the rest of the world and went and knocked on my neighbor’s doors. It was brilliant. They would come to the door all sluggish and dressed in their pajamas smelling of sleep. I was like a little ray of sunshine all dressed in my bright green uniform. They promptly signed my order form and closed the door.  I got so many orders that year and all before my parents were even awake!

I was so pleased with myself that I thought, “I’ll get up every morning and knock on people’s door. I can totally fund my Dad’s Solar Hydrogen projects this way. All I have to do is knock on 30 million doors and ask for a dollar donation.“ Of course, I got my little badge and never knocked on a door that early again.

And now, I’m being paid back in spades. For the last seven years, my kids haven’t slept past the crack of dawn. I grumble each and every morning cursing the days of Girl Scout cookie sales. Back when I was in the third grade, I had so many ideas and now all I want to do is sleep!

The other day, my local neighborhood Girl Scout came knocking at my door around four in the afternoon with her mother. The daughter asked if I would like to order some Girl Scout cookies and told me that selling cookies builds entrepreneur skills, that some day she would be a businesswoman.  Now, why didn’t I think of that?

Now it is some day for me and I want to be a businesswoman with entrepreneurial skills! I think back to the third grade and my idea of knocking on 30 million doors.

“I can do that.” I say to myself.  “But, how do I do it with four kids on top of me?” I think about how hard it is just to walk around our little block and how we drive half a block just to get to school.  Not only that, but I don’t even allow my own Cub Scout to sell stuff door to door. Hmmm… times have changed.

“What if I used the Internet to reach everybody?”  My mind went a million miles a minute thinking of all the possibilities. It didn’t take long before I was designing SaraEnoch.com. I told everyone I knew of my idea.

“Nobody is going to donate a dollar over the Internet.” They all told me.

“Well, do you want me to wake you up before the sun comes up and ask for you to donate a dollar? Because if that’s what it takes, I’ll see you in the morning with my four kids.”  I say in my third grade know-it-all voice.

“No, no, no I’ll give you a dollar now.”

“I thought so.” I laugh, they laugh, we all laugh.

I still think it’s a good idea and I’m going to run with it.

Tell me what you think? Would you give a dollar to fund my Dad’s Solar Hydrogen Projects?