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Do you ever wish things were different in the world? You can make great changes in your world with just a simple action. it was Thomas J. Peters who once said, “Celebrate what you want to see more of.” Another way to describe his words is to ‘be the change you wish to see in the world.’ A wonderful example of a man doing just that is Guisepi from FreeTeaParty.org. He celebrates humanity by serving free tea to those he meets in the world.

Only a few years ago was when the idea for hosting free tea parties came to Guisepi’s mind. He was living a simple life out of his truck and would always give free tea and treats to people that he met on the road. A beautiful co-mingling of ideas and dreams between a group of total strangers took place over something as common as a cup of tea. All of a sudden he realized he was on to something special.

Guisepi’s original intention was merely to throw tea parties wherever he traveled as a way to interact with the communities he visited. It was cheap and easy to do, but most importantly, it was fun. After some time, friends and tea party attendees began to share their thoughts about how incredible these parties really were. They saw people walk away from his truck with more love, hope and ideas on how to make a positive difference in the world.

Today, tea is served out of his Tea Bus that he calls, Special Edna, which is a short, yellow school bus. Its perfect size allows him to parallel park on major streets and has better fuel economy than if he owned a larger bus. “Special Edna” is his home and he graciously shares his traveling abode with anyone who cares to have a cup of tea with him.

Guisepi says that hosting free tea parties is not a new idea. In Fact, it is a custom that dates back thousands of years. Even after all this time, people still take part in this genuine, kindred interaction of drinking tea together.

Guisepi has friends who throw their own versions of tea parties and he thinks it is great. One man he met in San Francisco was so thrilled with the idea that he decided to fulfill his longtime dream of serving free stew to people. “Not to be too cheesy, but it isn’t bout the tea or a school bus - it’s about real human connections, sharing ideas, self-expression and being free people” he explains.

If at all possible, you really must go to a free tea party. Should you live too far to attend one of Guisepi’s parties you could easily host your own. It is definitely a remarkable event that will stay with you forever.

Luckily, I was able to attend one of his free tea parties in his magic bus in Los Angeles. Over the course of a few hours I met people from far away lands, of different backgrounds all the while enjoying a cup of chai tea. This was one of the most remarkable moments I’ve ever experienced - To sit in a group with people only moments before were so foreign to me, and then became instant friends.

I encourage you to let Guisepi’s story inspire you to be the change you wish to see in the world. it’s so easy to make a difference in the lives of others like a gift of a free cup of tea.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 4:27 am and is filed under Internet.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.