Sketch

-Nik

                Matt said it earlier, but if I had to take one thing from the Sketch-a-Thon on Saturday, it is the reaffirmation of the goodness in humanity. And just like Matt, which you’ve probably noted from what little writing I’ve contributed to the site thus far, I’m quite the cynical bastard myself (genetics?).

                And don’t you worry, I’ve got my usual griping. But far less than usual, certainly. In fact, I’m only going to bitch about one thing. Only one! Over the 11.5 hours we were there (10am to 9:30pm, baby), I eventually lost count of how many times someone would stop at the table and then ask for directions to something in the mall. That’s right. A table set up solely for the purpose of fund raising, an organization having no correlation to the mall whatsoever, asked every hour or so, “Where is (insert store name)?” “Do you know where ________ is?” Or, my favorite, as we were strategically located right by four, yup, four elevators: “Can you tell me where the elevators are?” Am I wrong to be offended here? Is this not super friggin’ rude? Also, there are directories all over the gorram mall. I offered to get some maps so we could just hand them to the dumbshits, but Matt shot that idea down. “I don’t want word getting around that I have maps,” he said. (a good idea) My response? So when asked, we respond with “Well, you can go find it on your own, or you can donate $5 to Autism Speaks and you get this handy map here.” Needless to say, Matt shot that idea down too.

                Now, the good stuff. I have to say, I was so incredibly moved with what I saw on Saturday. I never thought to see someone approach the table and say, in all seriousness, “I think that I might have Autism.” Honestly, as I’m writing this, I’m kinda welling up a little, that Matt could reach someone like that. Just by setting up his table to sketch and get some money for a charity, he actually connected with people. He offered education, enlightenment, acknowledgement to something that could have been simply a thought, a doubt, a fear, an inkling of an idea. This guy walked away with several pamphlets and hand-outs, along with encouragement and advice from Matt.

                With that came the occasional passerby who would stop and praise Matt, commend him for donating his time and talent. Particularly those with Asperger’s. I think there were three of them all day. They would come up and shake Matt’s hand, wholeheartedly thanking him, donating money, praising his art and generosity. Also to be noted were those people with nothing to do with Autism, but donated anyway. Those people are lovely and wonderful, and not all of us can do that, just donate to any charity they see accepting donations, but they are to be commended. Another class is those who would stroll by, see a doodle of a character that they like, and be drawn in, then asking what was going on and donate.

                Lastly, the bulk of the business we saw that day was those touched by Autism. We saw people who babysat kids with it, we saw people who had cousins, children, family friends with Autism. One of the most notable groups, however, was all of the teachers. They seemed to be one of the most prominent people instantly drawn over to us. As soon as they saw the puzzle piece, they came over, pulling out their wallets. So ready to give monetarily, just as they give with their time and dedication at other times.

                Anyone who donated on Saturday, no matter the circumstances: thank you. I know, it’s impossible to donate to everything you see, but every penny helps. And it’s safe to say that Matt earned a decent little chunk for Autism Speaks for his first event. Let’s hope we see it doubled next year. And an absolutely special thank you to Matt, for dedicating so much time, months in advance all the way right up to the day. For persisting and fighting to go through all of the hoops and paperwork just to set up a table to get money for a charity. He’s a great man, a fantastic father, and an incredibly talented artist.

                And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: my sketch suggestion at 8:30pm - Einstein riding a Xenomorph (which looks vaguely like a tauntaun).