Saving the World - One Seal at a Time

In case you missed it, German model Heidi Klum and British musician Seal are officially separating. Their seven-year marriage (a lifetime for Hollywood couples) came to an abrupt end this past Sunday when it was announced exclusively to People magazine that they were parting ways. Just a moment after this announcement, the "Personal Life" sections of both Klum and Seal's Wikipedia page were magically updated with this change in relationship status. 

 
Contrary to popular belief, this instant change was not carried out by the all-knowing Wikipedia fairy. In fact, this update was done by the same person writing this very post. Yes, world, my name is Stacy Burghardt and I am a closet Wikipedia contributor.

 
With this confession in mind, please behold the pathetic events of my Sunday night. 11:01pm: my friend Ali texts me "it's official." 11:02pm: immediately understanding her reference, I grab my computer and open people.com. 11:03pm: I finish reading the article and statement on the separation of Klum and Seal, wipe the tears away from my eyes (okay, I wasn't really crying, at least not that I'll admit...), and immediately turn to Wikipedia to admire the speed in which their pages have probably already been changed. 11:04: Alas, no one has updated! I stop, reflect on if I really want to be the person to make this separation official, and type my entry into the collaborative Internet encyclopedia. 11:07: I screenshot my handiwork and proudly paste it on Ali's wall to indicate that I have undoubtably read her text. 
 
This is just one example of how I strive to see the change that I can make in the world (for more information about this insight, please download our State of the YAYA factbook at mojo-ad.com). As a member of the YAYA audience in a growing world, I take pride in knowing that I hold ownership of this sentence. Whether my identity stays a secret, or I share my work proudly to others, it doesn't matter. Thousands more people have read that one, insignificant sentence than will ever read this blog post. 
 
Not only do I find joy in updating Wikipedia, but I have also added streets to Google Earth (MapQuest has yet to respond to my requests), and complained to companies such as Mead and McDonald's for better perforated notebooks and more polite service. 
 
At the end of the day, I enjoy the gratification that comes from making the world a better and more accessible place to live. If my fan mail doesn't persuade Heidi and Seal to reconcile, it doesn't matter. I have the power to change that relationship status right back. 

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Stacy Burghardt: Copywriter for Mojo Ad.