150th!

Making my 150th blood donation on June 16, 2026. the serious look is due to trying to snap the selfie without moving my other arm and disrupting the donation!

Yesterday, I donated blood for the 150th time. That's 18.75 gallons of blood. The Red Cross says one donation can help up to 3 people, so that's 450 folks I might have helped. My blood, donated in Columbus, Ohio has been sent as far as east as Boston, as far south as Salisbury, North Carolina and as far north as Petosky, Michigan in just the last two years.

I wish my writing was as impactful.

I first donated by accident sometime around 1992. Since I didn't realize donating blood was going to turn into a lifelong service, I did not note the actual date. I was having my car serviced and needed to waste a couple of hours. A blood drive was going on next door, so I thought why not? It seemed like a good way to pass the time.

For the next few years, I donated once or twice a year, when I thought of it or a blood drive was conveniently scheduled some place I was going to be, but I was not conscientious about it. It was a thing to do on a Saturday morning. In 1995, I started working at Ohio State University. I worked Sunday - Thursday, noon - 9pm. That schedule let me finish my master's degree and have the freedom to know I could schedule a donation more regularly and know I would be available.

Then donating became a habit. You can donate blood every eight weeks. Now, I schedule my next donation as soon as I finish. My next donation is already scheduled for August 11.

I see donating blood as tithing to the universe. I decide to make the donation, but the blood goes to where it can do the immediate best work. No one is judged for who they are, what they do or what they believe.

Please consider, if you are able, making a donation. It generally takes no more than an hour but the impact may last for years. That's powerful.