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Why do you do this?


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Well this has certainly changed from "why do you do this" to a version of "which armor is the right armor". Lol I was excited to hear some personal accounts of the defining moment in someones life when they realized that they wanted to join. :D

 

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If its any conciliation I do it for the money! :laugh1:

 

 

 

joking although it does help. I donated a full suit to the UKG for the "Make a wish " foundation. It raised a few thousand pounds and I can sleep with the satisfaction that I helped brighten up some kids lives.

 

It's all about the children ultimately.

 

Saying that I never grew up so technically I'm still a child. :lol:

Edited by sskunky
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Last night I trooped to help provide a Halloween experience for kids who are chronically ill. Many are in wheelchairs and are not able to experience a normal Halloween like other kids.

 

What price do you put on that? Of all the virtues, charity is the most precious. This is true in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I think it a basic human motivation to give to others less fortunate, and this is just one way to combine a hobby with charity. It's why I do 501st costuming instead of other types.

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Last night I trooped to help provide a Halloween experience for kids who are chronically ill. Many are in wheelchairs and are not able to experience a normal Halloween like other kids.

 

What price do you put on that? Of all the virtues, charity is the most precious. This is true in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I think it a basic human motivation to give to others less fortunate, and this is just one way to combine a hobby with charity. It's why I do 501st costuming instead of other types.

 

I agree. It's sad really how it seems less and less people allow themselves to be charitable. I am kicking myself in the a very impolite person for not getting into this sooner but my first encounter with the 501st was when I saw a TK taking a lot of his time with handicapped kids that were in line waiting to get into the Wizard World convention in Chicago. He made their day, man.

 

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Well this has certainly changed from "why do you do this" to a version of "which armor is the right armor". Lol I was excited to hear some personal accounts of the defining moment in someones life when they realized that they wanted to join. :D

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

well in my OP i was mainly asking to see what use I would get out of it if I did lay down the money since I can't join the legion yet. Then I made a couple follow up questions, while doing charity work with you guys would be awesome, I'm not sure if I would be able to suit up and do it with you guys until 2015 :/

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Seriously, if you hook up with your local troops, you should be able to do some events before then

My buddy Logan rocks a biker scout and a jawa, he's been trooping (with the 501st, but as a GA member) for about 3 years

He turned 18 and got his numbers like a month ago

You could totally also do this

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start with a cloth based armor, like a snowtrooper, or a tie pilot, then go TK when you're ready!

 

I was considering a snow trooper but the blizzard force forums are DEAD. The people that they sent me to buy armor from haven't responded to my emails either. I like the liveliness of the FISD ;)

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  • 1 month later...

That video reduced me to a blubbering baby. I am halfway through my first build and have wondered more than once if I could hold it together next to one of these little children, especially if they were very ill or terminal. Have any of you 501sters ever had a little trouble with that?? I'm serious.

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Hey Matt, so far I teared up once during a private visit to an 8 year old during which he made us all individually a thank you note/drawing..I still have it up in my office. be good to see you at the troop this Saturday!

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I dated a guy in the 501st before I even thought about joining, and seeing the interactions of him and the other troopers left a lasting impression on me. After being a handler, it only made that decision more concrete. I am ordering my kit soon...

 

If nothing else, not the comradeship or the amazing memories with friends, I want to be able to make one of my best friends little boys have the most memorable birthday ever, by showing up at his front door next year. He's been a warrior through all of his health problems and countless times in the hospital and through surgery. If I can make him smile and help him forget all that for a little bit, itll be worth it.

 

That's why I'm joining. :)

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well in my OP i was mainly asking to see what use I would get out of it if I did lay down the money since I can't join the legion yet. Then I made a couple follow up questions, while doing charity work with you guys would be awesome, I'm not sure if I would be able to suit up and do it with you guys until 2015 :/

 

Even if you don't actually put any armor or cloth on, you could probably go as support. I don't know what the age rules are for spotters, but from my experience, it's hard to have too many support folks.

 

In response to your specific question about why we do this, everybody has their own. My wife and I went to Star Wars in Concert in Las Vegas a couple of years ago, and that's what put all of this in motion. But what made it worthwhile was this girl. She had Down's Syndrome, and I don't know if she could even speak. What I heard was just a series of grunts and odd noises. (could have been partially because of the helmet.) After being at the event for a couple of hours, she came up to me and started holding my hand and dragging me everywhere. She took me to the playground to watch her go down the slide. I clapped. She went on the monkey bars. I cheered her. What else was I supposed to do? Act like a jerk and walk off? That ain't how I roll. She tried to get me to go down the slide, but the bending didn't agree with me. Darth Nihlus did, though. Seemed to enjoy it. Didn't clap for him, though.

 

In all, the reasons we start doing this and the things that make it really worth doing can end up being completely different. The reason you start is because you are having giddy nerdgasms when you open your box of armor and start fitting it. The things that make it worth your time and money are the things that make you cry like a baby.

 

My two cents.

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I know exactly why I do this because I know myself. Trooping makes me a happier person.

 

I don't see the stormtrooper armor as a part of me, but as a tool to take action on things that affect others than myself. Seeing things in first person perspective has always felt weird and cold so in the face of everything that happens I ask myself constantly "am I doing right or wrong?". At first the spending money on an armor was more of satisfying an OCD and Gear Acquisition Syndrome, I knew what the 501st does, and I followed through with that in mind, with the objective of giving it a chance and see how that turns out.

 

First of all I must explain that I feel almost nothing about the human causes leading to charity. I grew up in a family of scientists who worked on genetic diseases and patients suffering from them. I translate the least feeling I get into a need to understand the distress. I've always been active donating to medical aids, but I rarely feel sadness about others' misfortune. I feel the need to act and support because questions pop up in my mind: what are my responsibilities as a human being? I don't believe in fate, God or bad luck. I believe others need help or want to be happy even for a moment, and if I can provide it in entertainment, practical help or moral support then I'll try to deliver.

 

When trooping the question "am I doing right or wrong?" kept getting the answer: "yeah, you're doing the right thing". Thinking about charity and quasisystematic happiness fed back through my lenses. Another question popped up is "when will I get bored of this?", and that's why I get up early in the morning, pack up my costume and travel long distances to troop with unquestionable motivation to perform as much as I can. So far I seem to keep seeing it as productive and rewarding, no matter how redundant the experience is perceived by far. I always try to see every fellow trooper and kid as a one person I meet in the moment rather than a recurrent event, I don't take it for granted and I try my best to look sharp and positive. I care about what people think about me, too, so I it challenges me to think a lot about team work.

 

So new efforts are always added to the original effort, I spend a lot less money on the costume, but I still spend energy because at the end of the year it's never lost. The photos, the garrison blogs, the memories, scratches and stink in the plastic remind me that I've done something.

 

For me it's all about doing something and measuring impact. I am optimistic, yet very critical, insensitive, empathetic and I hate stagnation. The less I do in life the more I feel stagnation, I feel days passing by and my world feels boring and passive. Some people are happy when they feel it as a drive. I know I'm happy when I feel nothing. :smiley-sw013:

Edited by Nicky
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The other day I was trooping at a non 501st function, a school fundraiser, and this little kid runs up to me and throws his arms around my legs with the biggest bear hug he could muster. He then rattles off a string of sentences in such a high pitched squeal of delight that I couldn't understand a single word he says. Turns out neither could anyone else because he has downs syndrome. For the next five minutes we posed for picture after picture until they literally had to pry him away.

 

If I never strap on the suit again, every penny I ever spent was worth it to me just for that one little boy.

 

That is why we do it.

 

 

Hell yeah I'm nearly finished first build and my friends son was here messing around wit my armour, couldn't get my bucket off him it felt damn good to see him happy as me wit it:)

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