Technology and Charity

As anyone who knows me would say, I love my gadgets and technology, I love having the latest things, it's an expensive pastime make no doubt about that so usually I'll get big major items other than smaller incidental items, the most major thing coming out this month is the 'Next Generation' of games consoles, the Xbox One and the Playstation 4.

I have had every console of this 'current' generation, Xbox 360, Wii and PS3, the only one which I haven't sold or moved on is my trusty PS3, possibly the best purchase I've made, so naturally when the next generation was announced I was one of the first to place a preorder for a PS4, it would be expensive but that is the trials and tribulations of getting the next generation!.

Cue to a few months later and a musician I like called Eric Stuart is running at Kickstarter to help raise funds for him to make his band's very first music video, naturally I jump on giving the maximum pledge I could of $100 to contribute to the Kickstarter, this would net me all his CD's signed and a name drop in the end credits of the video, as a fan that would be more than enough.

Nearer the end of the Kickstarter there was a slight worry that they might not make their goal, time was running out and it was a couple hundred dollars shy, I then look back to myself, recently the games I had wanted for the PS4 had all delayed until next year, leaving me with almost nothing to actually use on my €399 money sink, after doing the maths I cancel the order and give $500 to Eric Stuart's Kickstarter, making it meet it's goal. So I posted this on Facebook.

"You know what? I've decided to cover the rest of Eric Stuart's Kickstarter, pledging $500, I've decided to cancel my Playstation 4 order, I don't need it, helping out someone will be much more fufilling."

Needless to say my family were stunned but that wasn't the only person who was...

"This is an incredible gesture of generosity. Alexander Lyons-Rothery your act of unselfish kindness is humbling. I work very hard to create my music, entertain with my voice acting/directing, and give all I can to entertain. I cannot do what I do without the support of family, friends, and fans. I promise this video will be one that you will be proud of and as your read your name in the credits you will feel like you are a big part of making happen. Thank you!"

Eric Stuart himself posted on my own Facebook page, thanking me for what I had done, speechless does not describe how I felt that day, the guy who I had first known voicing Brock and James in Pokemon is thanking me personally for something I did, the 'likes' started coming in, it's currently the most 'liked' thing of anything I've done, I've had family praising me for what I did, I only did what I felt was the right thing and it made me the hero of the day, when the music video gets finished I'll link it here with pride knowing I really helped make it happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrpRpvcWiYc

For those of you perhaps a little lost, here's Eric Stuart talking about some of his voice acting roles.

So in closing, sometimes you can really brighten a bunch of peoples day with the simplest thing, I don't think I could top this one for some time but I'm proud of it.