Dr. Jane + Mr. H - I met both on the train

If you’ve seen the cover of Growing Up Global, you’ll notice the sunburst with the quote from Dr. Jane Goodall says: “fascinating ideas for giving young people opportunities to become truly global citizens.”  I was over the moon when Dr. Jane offered her feedback from reading a galley copy of the book.  Amidst her grueling schedule, travelling over 300 days a year, we managed to get a book to her while she waited for a flight at Heathrow airport, and she couldn’t have been more gracious and positive about it. This wasn’t the first time she’d heard of my project.  Our initial meeting took place on the Amtrak from Philadelphia to New York, four years ago.

We were on a full train, where the only open seats were the very last ones in the car.  These are the ones that look like a restaurant booth, with a table in between.  I thought I recognized the woman already in the seat across from mine.  I definitely knew it was her when, upon settling in, she took out a plush toy chimp from her bag (I think he’s “Mr. H”?) and placed it right on the table between us, just as I would place a magazine there.  At that time our eldest daughter was in seventh grade, concluding a Biography project – on Dr. Jane Goodall.  (I remember this because about half way into the ride I went into the ladies’ room to call Layla with the news: I excitedly whispered it and she screamed in return.)

A highlight of that fateful ride with the esteemed activist, scientist and trailblazer (who turned 75 earlier this year) and her capable right-hand person was the conversation we had around raising children to be at home in the world – to take responsibility, not live in fear, engage in making sincere connections, and embrace its beauty and possibilities.  She encouraged my dedication to the book.  She shared that indeed, the prime motivation of her work, including the work with wildlife, stems from her desire for peace in our world.  A society that respects its environment is much more likely to have peace.  Brutality to animals quickly spreads to fellow humans.  Take a look at her newest, heart-felt book, Hope for Animals and Their World.

Since that day I discovered a number of overlapping friends with the Jane Goodall Institute board and staff, particularly a graduate school mentor, Dr. David Shear, who recently stepped down as JGI’s Board Chair.  I’m honored to have a Growing Up Global gift basket included among the silent auction items at The 2009 Jane Goodall Institute Global Leadership Awards Celebration taking place at the Beverly Wilshire hotel near L.A. tonight.  I was told that only “items Jane loves” will be included in the auction.  Here’s a link to the invitation, with a Hollywood Who’s Who on the host committee, ranging from Barbra Streisand and Mary Tyler-Moore to Julia Louis Dreyfus, Ellen DeGenerus, and Ted Turner.

Included in the Growing Up Global basket, valued at $700, are:

• A gift certificate to the lovely, globally-inspired children’s clothing from Tea Collection (www.teacollection.com).
• An assortment of 7 family friendly foreign film DVDs PLUS a 3-month and a 6-month subscription to Film Movement (www.filmmovement.com).
• Ten CDs from Putumayo World Music – five Putumayo Kids favorites and five top Putumayo World Music titles (www.putumayo.com).
• Global Giving gift cards, to choose from causes and projects all over the world to invest in (www.globalgiving.com).
• Two signed copies of Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World – one to keep and one to give.

Thanks so much to these outstanding organizations – all striving to making the world a better place, and hoping to make a fraction of the dent that Dr. Jane so elegantly and courageously has dedicated her life to.

Tea Collection - For Little Citizens of the World

World Playground from Putumayo