Got into a good conversation with my sister the other day (as I always do), in which I think she gave me an indirect compliment. She said I'm always starting new things. Obviously, I think it's good to try new things, so I can appreciate this quality of mine, but in fairness... I don't always "finish new things". Some of them cost money, so I know this is not the most financially friendly trait of mine, as I own many things that don't get used often enough to justify their ownership. An electronic keyboard and climbing gear come to mind. I also think there is something unsavory, about a starter who doesn't finish much.
I guess I do start things quite regularly though. Most recently, blogging and running come to mind - but throughout my life there have been many other things. It's good to be a "self-starter" I see that as a job requirement on many "job ads" these days, but of course what they are actually looking for is a "self-finisher"... I think.
Anyway, before I get too much into negative self-talk, my point is that one of the side-affects of being a new thing try-er... is near constant volunteerism. I love volunteering. While from a distant is seems like altruism, a closer look reveals that it is a way to try new things at a low cost with relatively no expectation and often times some great perks.
For instance, I volunteer at a Cat shelter... the obviuous benefit here is lots of cat love, and getting to see cute kitties, even when your cats have grown up (of course still love them at this stage, but kitties are cuter - I just say it like it is). Okay - you might end up with a few extra cats, after seeing too many cute kitties (as though there is such a thing), but the benefits really out weight the cons.
In another scenario, Sunday (Day 67) I volunteered with The Works. Some items of note about The Works include 1) Their color is purple (good choice!) 2)The do fun projects 3)They are hand's on and 4) They help your kids learn science, engineering and math... the three under taught subjects in Elementary School... ok maybe that's just my opinion.
Anyway - the perks!
The Works was a part of an event at the Science Museum of Minnesota and us volunteers recieved a $5.00 food voucher. yipee! Of course, there wasn't much on the menu for less than five dollars, so I ended up with a cheese burger that came to $5.05, anyway... I gave the cashier my voucher, plus a five dollar bill, and I got $5.95 in change. WHOOT! I just got paid $0.95 to eat. As a math teacher, this situation does make me cringe a bit, but well what did I say - the benefits of volunteering are endless, especially when there are cashiers with poor math skills.
Volunteering is a cheap way to get out of the house. I'm a volunteer tour guide at a local National Wildlife Refuge and I love it.
ReplyDeleteI could never volunteer at a cat shelter because I cry every time I go into one of those... something about seeing all the cute kitty faces behind bars.