Volunteering - First Step

Putting in 250 hours of volunteer time this year is going to be harder than in the past. I only took my first step to my goal last weekend by volunteering 3 hours in the Northern Illinois Food Bank, St. Charles distribution center. My dad has been going there once a month for nine years. I join him whenever I get the chance. The minute we step in the door we head into what I call the conveyor room where we sort donated items to be sent to local pantries. He has to be in the fruits/vegetables station or he is not a happy camper. It is a good feeling knowing that people who can't afford the basic necessities have outlets like local food pantries to help fill their cabinets.

I am still waiting to hear from The Morton Arboretum, the Brookfield Zoo, and the Naper Settlement about my volunteer applications. They all start their new volunteers in the spring. I am also going to start looking elsewhere for other volunteer openings such as local retirement homes and local boys and girls clubs and the nearby libraries.

If you know of an event in the western suburbs let me know and I would love to check them out.

Goal = 250 hours
To date = 3 hours
To go = 247 hours

My Mama

Disclaimer: This is just me having some fun practicing my writing. I love my parents.

I did it I discovered the fountain of youth, well sort of…the key to staying young is listen to rock and roll!

There are so many gadgets and gizmos and ointments and creams out there to help you fight aging on the outside, this is an example of how to keep your spirit young.

This is based on my personal observation on how I watched my parents stay young without buying sports cars or running after young studs or studettes. As the baby boomers enter their seventh decade I wanted to write this to encourage them to keep the rock alive inside. Music is said to tame the savage beast but I think it can help keep your spirit young.

It all began a couple of years ago with a TV show called “Rockstar Inxs.” For weeks the world watched as men and women vied to be the new singer of Inxs. While the contestants sang and rocked their hearts out for the fans and judges my parents sat glued to the TV. The judges critiqued and the fans voted and in Chicago there was a local favorite.

Before leaving for LA for the contest Marty Casey fronted a band called Lovehammers. They had a small following throughout the Chicagoland area but that fame grew as each week Marty was saved from elimination. As the finale approached my mom learned everything she could about Marty and the Lovehammers.

It came down to the final 2 and my parents watched with bated breath to see who the world voted for. Marty came in second but in my opinion I think it was for the better. Marty came back to Chicago a hero in many people’s eyes.

As the show progressed my mom regressed into her second adolescence. She is a teenager again. Most teenagers follow their favorites every move and she does. Most teenagers are on the phone or computers 24/7 and she is. Growing up in the 60s she was always a music fan. She even took me to my first concert when I was 13, the Moody Blues.

She and my father moved to Chicago in ’74. They had a couple of casual friends here and there as I grew up but boy have things changed. She now has friends around the world. The Hammerheads are what the fans call themselves. They travel throughout the Midwest following the band from show to show. They’ve even flown in from Australia to see the band play. Most of the fan base is adult women 30-65 and they have become the best of friends.

For my mom this group has become her second family. My dad loves the fact that she has this in her life. This group has let her relive her teens without dealing with puberty again. They have also become a support system for each other. They rally around each other in many different ways. They also do great things for others. Their guitarist has encouraged them to build boxes for the troops overseas. There was also an online auction to benefit a fan fighting cancer, in which my mother donated handmade pottery.

Music and the Lovehammers have given my parents a renewed energy. My mom helps run the message board and the online store. She is more of a party girl at fifty something than most girls at 17, but she still makes it to work in the morning. She knows more about current music than my young adults.

My advice is you are never too old to rock out!!