Voluteers

I was driving west on Ridgewood Road approaching the intersection of Pascack Rd. I was singing along with the group Santana, which isn’t that easy since a lot of their stuff is in Spanish and I, well, "No hablo Espanol". I saw that I had a red light ahead of me and I thought: "Oh not again!" What I saw next caused me reflexively to utter "Oh no!" There were three maybe four of them with those little yellow aprons, each holding a little bucket-the volunteers!

I was trapped! A red light-no way out! What do I do? Do I give them something? If so, how much? A dollar or two? That’s cheesy. If I gave more than that-how much? A ten? Show them what a generous guy I am? Do I have a ten? I can’t just give them some change. My back was up. I give lots to charity-well at least my share…I think. Besides our regular giving there’s always the six or seven solicitations in the mail each day. And what about the phone solicitations? In truth I seldom give to the latter. But that’s not the point. We’re barraged with requests for donations –now they have me cornered in my car…at a stoplight!

Aha! Luck was on my side. As I neared the light it changed to green. I made the right turn smiling politely at the volunteers. I parked by the supermarket at the shopping center. As I walked towards the entrance-there they were again! They’re like rabbits! They’re all over the place! There was a volunteer at the entrance and one at the exit. As I approached the entrance someone engaged the volunteer in a conversation so I slipped by unnoticed. Inside I started my shopping. Then my conscience started to bother me. What is all the fuss about I asked myself. "I should have given something-it is a good cause." "Why was I so put out about the whole thing?"

I recalled the volunteer at the door had brought a chair with him. He was an older gentleman, probably has difficulty standing for long periods. Doubtless he is retired like me. I thought "Geez it’s really something for these guys and gals to give up their time to do something like that". I bet they were a bit uncomfortable too, asking people for money. But they do it. The guy could be home watching the Yankees or even out on the golf course. Instead they give up part of their day to do this for others. As I left I stopped at the volunteer in the chair and gave him a hundred dollar bill.( Nah! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hundred dollar bill.) I did give him some money. He said: "Thank you". I said: "No-thank you!" And I meant it.

I remember when I retired I had chosen not to start a second career. But what would I do? A buddy suggested volunteer work-"They’re always looking for volunteers." I found he was right. There were plenty of opportunities. For a while I fed the elderly patients at Bergen Pines (when it was Bergen Pines). I volunteered in a literacy program and had a great two year relationship with my student a Colombian gentleman in his 70s. I also volunteered at the County Addiction services program in Hackensack.

I found all these efforts very rewarding. This same buddy of mine also said: "What’s great about volunteer work is if you don’t feel like showing up you don’t have to." Well he was wrong on that. For most of us if we make a commitment we follow through. We show up! At one place I showed up one snowy, miserable day to find the secretary(a paid employee) not at her desk. I asked another employee "Where’s so & so this morning?" The employee answered "Oh! She called in sick." Giving me a knowing wink as he said it. I remember going to work at my volunteer job on 9/11. We were sent home.

Two years ago our grandchildren, twins Sam and Emma were born (cutest kids in the world-it’s true! I have pictures-wanna see?) Since then I have cut back on my volunteer work to help care for them. As I’ve said before, mostly I’m the chauffeur; go-fer and lifter of heavy objects. The pay is good-all the hugs I could ever want.

To be serious for a moment-thinking about this issue of volunteering in our current environment, the war in Iraq, I couldn’t help but think of our service men and women. They are all volunteers! National Guard or Reservists they showed up and are now risking life and limb in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Memorial Day is fast approaching and tragically there will be more graves. Soldiers who have fallen in those far off places. No matter what we as individuals might think of the war-they-the volunteers will be there. Many will come home with serious injuries perhaps crippled for life. All who serve over there will be wounded by the experience.

To them I say: "Thank you."