I was 12 years old when Bob Geldof made his ground-shattering, heartfelt appeal to one and all to help those victims of the Ethiopian famine.  His example of using his passion -- music -- to help others is one that touched me at a very fundamental level, and it's an example that I try to follow to this day.  I'm proud that I'm passing that lesson on to my kids too.

Bob did something that no one thought was possible -- he got a whole bunch of STARS together in the same room, at the same time, and got them to perform FOR FREE.  He got them to perform to help people half way around the world.

Back in 1984, my Dad bought my sister and I a video tape (yes, video tape -- VHS) of the "making of" documentary behind the revolutionary song.  We watched it over and over and over, pausing when our favourite stars (George Michael and Simon Le Bon) were on screen.  Maybe at the time, the message didn't quite sink in ... but I still remember almost every scene.  I still own that video tape and I still play it every Christmas.

Whenever I hear the song, I close my eyes and picture each singer singing the phrase or two they were assigned to sing.  When Bono cries out "Well tonight thank God it's them, instead of you", tears come to my eyes.

Because I DO thank God it's not me, it's not my family.  We are so very blessed and so very lucky.

So go and take a trip back to 1984.  And thank God it's not YOUR family that's suffering this Christmas.  Think about giving, even in some small way, to someone in need.  Just because you can.

Do They Know It's Christmas video on Youtube: