Written by Laura McConnell
Ever see those cartoons where a character is trying to decide whether to eat the little guy or let him go? You know, the ones where the little angel and the little devil pop up on opposite shoulders and whisper sweet nothings into the character’s ears?
I think that everyone has those moments.
For example, it’s easy for me to see Kids Need to Read founder PJ Haarsma listening to just such a conversation when he discovered the appalling lack of books in some libraries and schools in this country several years ago.
His angel would have insisted that he do something about it, but his devil would’ve argued that one person couldn’t possibly make a difference. I’m sure they bickered about doing what was right versus doing what was easy for days.
Thankfully, the angel won that fight and the Kids Need to Read Foundation was born from PJ’s vision and determination to help those in need.
But those pesky devils never stay quiet for long. They’re always on about something, and our angels have to constantly beat them off. There’s a never-ending battle of wills inside each of us, it seems. Every now and then, though, something comes along that even these mortal enemies can agree upon. Sometimes, we get lucky enough to do some good while allowing our more troublesome sides out to play harmlessly for a bit. Such was the case recently for Haarsma.
He and KNTR cofounder Nathan Fillion put together a short video as a special treat for Can’t Stop the Serenity this year. It was shown before charity screenings of Serenity all over the world in order to help raise awareness of the Kids Need to Read mission. And while Fillion’s contribution was nothing but angelic, Haarsma got to have a little devilish fun with his part.
I can see his little companions clinking glasses and shaking hands now. The angel is pleased that more people heard about Kids Need to Read because of this little film, and the devil, well… you’ll just have to watch for yourself to see why he’s in a good mood.
Now that we’re all on the same page, it’s time to get to the real business at hand. First off, I’d like to take a moment to thank Nathan Fillion for being such a good sport. It’s never easy to be the brunt of the joke, and KNTR really appreciates his willingness to do so for the good of Kids Need to Read.
And as for PJ Haarsma, I think I’m supposed to say that he should be ashamed of himself for picking on a friend, but I can’t. Instead, we here at Kids Need to Read thank him for his part in this lovely video, too. PJ has given so much to KNTR through the years and I can forgive him this tiny detour from the path of all that is right and good – especially since it’s for a good cause and it’s so darn funny!
Well done, gentlemen. Well done. And thank you again. You are truly a treasure.
