Sometimes I wonder…
I wonder where we have gone wrong in society.
I grew up in the town of Gilroy, California. A town that’s famously known for Garlic and the scorching hot event known as the Garlic Festival.
For over 40 years people have flocked to Gilroy from all over the world to visit the Garlic Festival.
Truth be told, it’s the only time anyone really would mark Gilroy on a map and say “Let’s go to Gilroy!”. Gilroy isn’t much, it’s a farm town. Although Gilroy is a bright spot in the Bay Area, as it’s one of the few towns in the Southern part of the Bay Area that is still known for farming…
See, what is now known as Silicon Valley (San Jose, CA and surrounding area) used to be known as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight”. Before the dot com era, before tech, before Apple / HP / IBM, etc… we had farming.
Believe it or not, Silicon Valley used to be a huge farming area.
The point is, it’s nice to see a town like Gilroy that hasn’t been overpopulated and remains true to its roots with actual character.
Enter Gilroy Strong
Even if you haven’t heard of the mass shooting at this year’s Garlic Festival, you might have already known where this blog was going simply by the title. Unfortunately, it’s become a thing that after a city experiences devastation as catastrophic as a mass shooting that we add “strong” to the city’s name.
We’ve become accustomed to hearing stories of shootings.
This is where we are in our society. This is where we are in our culture.
My intention is not to talk politics, nor do I wish to enter a debate about gun laws. What we really need to address is mental health.
Mental Health Awareness
The suicide rate is the highest it’s been in 28 years and the rate has increased by 24% from 1999 to 2014 alone. How can this be?
Don’t we live in a time when we have everything at our fingertips?
OR is that the problem?
Is technology driving us mad?
Is it the constant drive to check your social media accounts and compare yourself to others?
Is it just being “plugged in” with your head down and buried in your phone rather than looking up and making eye contact with people?
Is it the fact that we walk with our head in our phones instead of enjoying the beautiful sites of nature all around us?
Whatever it is, something needs to change and change starts inward. We all can play a part. First, it starts with you.
It doesn’t start with us trying to motivate and inspire others to live life rather than have life pass us by … and yes, I get the irony of this statement so let me hold myself accountable…
I’m making it my intention (a small intention but an impactful one) to not walk with my phone in my hand for one week. This means no watching videos as I walk, no reading texts/emails, no sending texts/emails. Not even holding my phone as I walk.
The fact that I need to work on this at all is pathetic. However, it is the state of our society that this is a challenge.
A Bright Spot… Swag
My company’s name is SwagWorx because Swag truly does work! Not only that, but Swag has the power to unify people!
If you google “Gilroy Strong” and click “shopping” you will see a variety of branded merch with the words “Gilroy Strong”. I tried this out just 2 days after the shooting.
I have friends that I grew up with who took to creating merch within one day to support the community! It only took the San Francisco Giants less than a week to team up with One Life Prints from Gilroy, CA to offer a collab of SF Giants/Gilroy Strong shirts as an “in-stadium exclusive”! (more on that here)
PromoCares is an outstanding resource that documents and highlights the bright spots of our industry that give back through blogs, podcasts, and products!
Did you know that PromoCares even has suppliers that support the mission by giving back to non-profits?
I’m totally guilty of not using this resource. Check out this link. These are products from suppliers that are associated with some sort of giveback program.
For more information, contact PromoCares.
Final Thoughts
Although I wonder and worry about our society, I am hopeful. I’m inspired by the amazing people in the Swag industry. Our industry really does have thoughtful and caring souls that want to make a difference.
Sometimes people (myself included) feel like giving up. Giving up can mean a variety of things… it can mean something as simple as moving to a rural place and living out your days as a hermit (yea, I’ve considered that). But, the fact is we need to work together. We can make a difference. Don’t give up!
It’s just like a relationship with a loved one. Before you can truly repair that relationship you need to work on yourself first.
We all need to focus on ourselves first and with the definitive belief, we can (and will) raise our collective consciousness.
To Living and Not Letting Life Pass You By,
Sam AKA SwagSam
P.S. If these topics of mindfulness interest you, then you may be interested in my latest Podcast called “Soul Seekr”. Just click here to sign-up for updates when the Soul Seekr Podcast goes live. For now, here are more blogs of mine with thoughts on life, spirituality, and more.
Sam Kabert is the creative director of SwagWorx and the creator and co-host of the podcast “WhatUp Silicon Valley!” A risk taker who embraces permanent beta, Sam is leading the transformation of his family-run office supplies business into a promotional products powerhouse. Sam can be reached at Sam@SwagWorx.com