darren simpson

…Four months ago i landed in Bali,and the hook was set.The culture,people and landscapes drew me in,.and i knew very quickly a new love affair had begun.I’ve always enjoyed the sense of motion that traveling provides.,but Bali begs you to stay,and dig in, I freely admit that it was a bittersweet trip to the airport when it was time to move on to thailand to meet a friend.The connections and sense of home that came to me over a 2 1/2 month stay,will certainly lead me back,..and i look forward to it.So often while traveling,you briefly meet people…savor the passing eye-candy,.and are on your way to new places armed with memory cards of photos,journal entries and email addresses of folks you hope too stay in touch with.The destination remains,..you move on as the impermanent part of the experience.

….I came into contact with the Smile Foundation of Bali on accident.,lazing around a cafe on a beautiful warm sunny morning.Better educated and moved by the work that they are doing for some people around Bali,…i sent an email to my friends asking for some support,with the hopes of possibly raising $1000,..and a promise to match the total contribution.

The mission statement of the Smile Foundation reads as follows…”The mission of Yayasan Senyum (Smile Foundation) is to reduce the suffering currently associated with craniofacial abnormalities and to improve quality of life by facilitating the delivery of health care to people with craniofacial disabilities in Bali and other Indonesian islands in partnership with local and international health care professionals.” In essence…they transform lives by helping to correct facial abnormalities.Before and after pictures are clear eveidence of the miracles that they are performing.,..but there is something else that struck me that isn’t reflected in the photos.The operations don’t just change the face of one person.It effects everyone that knows them.The parents,grandparents uncles,aunts,cousins,nieces and friends.The monger that sells them fish in the market,.the guy that drives their daily bus are all effected.An outward spiral of smiles that are never photographed or downloaded onto webpages.

The response i received far exceeded my hopes,..your total contribution was nearly 2000$.Despite some wire transfer difficulties,routing numbers,and overseas deposits aside,.my match along with your generosity resulted in a total contribution of $4,485.The foundation estimates most procedures to cost between 150-300$.That parlays into somewhere between 15 and 30 operations.Add in the spiral effect and i believe we have probably made an impact on thousands of faces,…providing smiles for people that we will never know,.or have the opportunity to sit in cafes with.The magnitude of it immeasurable,and i need to thank all of you.

Danny Cimino,..you never cease to amaze me with your ability to put a smile on someones face.Your friendship,.graciousness and constant support are a gift in my life,and i am better man for knowing you.The “Cimino Effect’ alone is limitless,..you truly make the world a better place for all of us.I couldn’t have managed to pull this off without the help of Jon Kryml,.collection agent and cheerleader extraordinaire,.Cheers Jonny,thanks for everything..you’re a catch! My mother endured numerous trips to the bank,cranky tellers,my incessant calls and has always been a source of smiles to everyone she meets,..1000 kisses mom,you’re the best. I raise a toast to the rest of you…Team Petrozelli,you two kicked it off…Valerie and Adam.(3 cups of smiles.)..Hamza,.(owner of one of my favorite smiles)..my adopted father Buster Bernard….Denise,,always a shining light…the rockstar Lance….and the support and honor of Anna.i could never thank you all enough for taking part in this experience.Collectively…”we” all left Bali better than we found it.The destination remains,… a tangible permanence remains.

I’ve never been one to bang on doors,or knock incessantly..i prefer to allow them to open purely by a well directed breeze.Many times during my travels,prevailing winds have led me to places and situations that a map or guidebook never could have..

Letting things just happen has led me to the new group of friends I have made here..the family house/compound that I have taken up residence in..and to the Smile foundation of Bali.

Sitting in a café equipped with wi-fi,writing one of these long winded tales..my eye caught a flyer tacked to a small bulletin board.the photograghs on it,.the magnets. Before and after pics of people that have undergone craniofacial surgery.I had to get a closer look. I jotted down the provided email address,and headed back to my seat to see what it was all about..Less than three minutes had passed since I glanced at the flyer and I was already finished reading through the mission statement..less than ten had passed and I’d already sent an email to them,and taken down the address here in Ubud.

The following day,I walked into the Smile Shop in Banjar Taman and,gained some firsthand insight and understanding as to what they have created,and knew immediately that I needed to find a way to help. The work and energy that is being put into this foundation and the contribution that they are making to Bali is miraculous,and life changing.

So without banging on doors,merely attempting to act as a gentle breeze opening them,I am kindly asking all of my friends to just take a moment or two,…less time than you have already spent reading my words,and open the link for the Smile Foundation of Bali,and consider the possibility of making a donation,on any level..To all of my fellow sparkys..who know me well..maybe a little bit of the rabbit/copper funds?..and to my mates in the pub,the cost of a round of Patrons will bring more smiles here than there.I have an idea that will make transfer of funds easier from the U.S..Rather than numerous costly wire transfers,Jon Kryml, who doesn’t know it yet, will be acting as collection agent,depositing in an acct there,and I will personally deliver them here.I don’t think a goal of $1000 is unrealistic or out of reach,and I will match the total contribution that is posted on the comment page.Surprise me guys.,you always do.,and I can deliver some smiles in the name of all of us.

Please post your comments,feelings and suggestions through the comment link above this post so they are available for everyone to read. …here’s the address /www.senyumbali.org/ ..or you can get there from the “open your mind,there are paths to roam” links on the right column.

Thanks everyone…keep smiling…darren