I did it!! Yay!! I actually made it to 100 hours back in October but I didn't realize it until a couple of weeks ago. I enjoy volunteering because it gives me a feeling of being useful, needed, and appreciated. The people you help actually are grateful that you are there and appreciate you helping. Volunteering has given me the opportunity to meet new people, see places I never would normally get to see, and learn many new things. I have another strange idea to explore my love of volunteering but that will have to wait until next year. The shifts that threw me over the 100 were 2 more shifts at the Food Bank and then a couple of hours at a Green Fair at Cantigny Park. The best part is that I should have the chance to hit 110 hours this year. Maybe next year I will make 150.
Current total 103hrs!!!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Fallen for Autumn
Wow this summer was hectic. Between work, starting school again, moving the parents, and my grandmother passing away the summer flew by. I have not been in a classroom in around 7 years so that took a little getting used to again. Unfortunately because of the craziness I really neglected my vegetable garden this year, nothing really grew at all. The main reason for this entry is my grandmother.
My grandmother was a great lady. She was really strong and determined. She didn't let anything scare her away from her goals. During WWII she was a weather girl in the Marine Corps. She lived a very happy life and died with her children around. Unfortunately because of the distance between us I only really saw her once a year so I didn't get to know her as well as I should have. In the email exchanges among my family after she passed everyone told stories about the great memories they had of her. After reading all of these emails I began to think about what people would say about me.
I know I have made many many mistakes in my life but I don't want to be remembered for them. I would really like to believe that people would say I was a loyal friend, a compassionate person who care for all life, and though I complained a lot I do appreciate the little things that when I was younger I took for granted. I tried to reconnect with some people this year but unfortunately I believe those rifts are too large to fix. Life is too short to hold grudges. I want to be remembered as a good person who made did a lot of good in the world.
I do have to say that this summer/fall was a volunteer heavy time, which made me feel good. I volunteered 3 days of Naperville Last Fling and all 8 nights of Naperville Independent Film Festival, racking up many hours toward my goal. Oh hoo almost at 100. Remember these hours don't include all of the fun meetings I have gone to.
Goal = 100 hours
To date = 95.5 hours
To go = 4.5 hours
My grandmother was a great lady. She was really strong and determined. She didn't let anything scare her away from her goals. During WWII she was a weather girl in the Marine Corps. She lived a very happy life and died with her children around. Unfortunately because of the distance between us I only really saw her once a year so I didn't get to know her as well as I should have. In the email exchanges among my family after she passed everyone told stories about the great memories they had of her. After reading all of these emails I began to think about what people would say about me.
I know I have made many many mistakes in my life but I don't want to be remembered for them. I would really like to believe that people would say I was a loyal friend, a compassionate person who care for all life, and though I complained a lot I do appreciate the little things that when I was younger I took for granted. I tried to reconnect with some people this year but unfortunately I believe those rifts are too large to fix. Life is too short to hold grudges. I want to be remembered as a good person who made did a lot of good in the world.
I do have to say that this summer/fall was a volunteer heavy time, which made me feel good. I volunteered 3 days of Naperville Last Fling and all 8 nights of Naperville Independent Film Festival, racking up many hours toward my goal. Oh hoo almost at 100. Remember these hours don't include all of the fun meetings I have gone to.
Goal = 100 hours
To date = 95.5 hours
To go = 4.5 hours
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
35th Birthday
Warning: This is just me ranting about birthdays. Next post will have no ranting or complaining I promise.
WOW I can't believe I turned 35 this month. This post is going to be some reminiscing which may turn a little sad for me. I am not sure why I always think birthdays are supposed to be special. I have been quite let down on my last few birthdays. Yes it has been nice to have the dozens of friendly greetings on facebook but the days themselves are just plain ordinary. It's not because of lack of gifts because I tell my family I don't want gifts it's more the fact that nobody seems to want to be with me on my birthday. I have one friend who has been great about my birthdays but that's it.
This year leading up to my birthday I had the same feelings again. This isn't where I was supposed to be when I turned 35. As a teenager I thought by 35 I would be happily married, with at least 1 child, and at a job I enjoy. I know that being happy is not set by these things but it would have been nice to have at least a job I enjoy by now. I know that being happy is not contingent on the fact of having a significant other but it would have been nice to have someone special to share my birthday with. I am working very hard at changing my attitude because I know people don't like hanging around people that are constantly depressed (I mentioned that in my last post also). But this year my birthday still got me down. I started it by helping at a mobile food pantry which was fulfilling but then I went to a casino where I lost $40. The money lost was expected because everyone loses at casinos. But the feelings got bad as the day went on and by the time I got to the theater for the second to last night of my first play I was just plain sad. I did get a nice surprise from my parents which cheered me up for a couple of minutes.
Oh well I have decided to stop celebrating birthdays.
On a happier note a volunteer hour update:
April Jaycees Egg Hunt - 3 hours, NIFB - 2 1/2 hours, and Sokol Special Number Comp. filming - 3 hours
May BCT library shoot - 2 hours, NIFB mobile food pantry - 3 hours, and Naper Settlement Civil War Days - 4 hours
Goal = 100 hours
To date = 23.5 hours
To go = 76.5 hours
WOW I can't believe I turned 35 this month. This post is going to be some reminiscing which may turn a little sad for me. I am not sure why I always think birthdays are supposed to be special. I have been quite let down on my last few birthdays. Yes it has been nice to have the dozens of friendly greetings on facebook but the days themselves are just plain ordinary. It's not because of lack of gifts because I tell my family I don't want gifts it's more the fact that nobody seems to want to be with me on my birthday. I have one friend who has been great about my birthdays but that's it.
This year leading up to my birthday I had the same feelings again. This isn't where I was supposed to be when I turned 35. As a teenager I thought by 35 I would be happily married, with at least 1 child, and at a job I enjoy. I know that being happy is not set by these things but it would have been nice to have at least a job I enjoy by now. I know that being happy is not contingent on the fact of having a significant other but it would have been nice to have someone special to share my birthday with. I am working very hard at changing my attitude because I know people don't like hanging around people that are constantly depressed (I mentioned that in my last post also). But this year my birthday still got me down. I started it by helping at a mobile food pantry which was fulfilling but then I went to a casino where I lost $40. The money lost was expected because everyone loses at casinos. But the feelings got bad as the day went on and by the time I got to the theater for the second to last night of my first play I was just plain sad. I did get a nice surprise from my parents which cheered me up for a couple of minutes.
Oh well I have decided to stop celebrating birthdays.
On a happier note a volunteer hour update:
April Jaycees Egg Hunt - 3 hours, NIFB - 2 1/2 hours, and Sokol Special Number Comp. filming - 3 hours
May BCT library shoot - 2 hours, NIFB mobile food pantry - 3 hours, and Naper Settlement Civil War Days - 4 hours
Goal = 100 hours
To date = 23.5 hours
To go = 76.5 hours
Monday, February 21, 2011
2011 Beginning
As a friend pointed out to me recently I was a very negative person last year (and probably the year before that too), so I have been trying very hard this year to not be that person. I will admit it has been hard especially since I suffer from minor depression and severe anxiety. I just want to point out to people in general telling someone who suffers from these things to "get over it" or "just snap out of it" doesn't work. Some people recover from this stuff quickly and for others it takes longer. I definitely admit that I haven't been doing my "homework" when it comes to some things, but I am trying. I will also say that I listen to everything people tell me. I try to make the changes people suggest but I do have a very hard head which makes it a little more difficult.
So now on to how the year has started. This was planned to be a year of friendship, which started out well in January. I got to have dinner with friends I haven't seen in months and we all enjoyed the night. We went to a nice Irish restaurant and it was good food and good company. I also got to have dinner with another friend and we went to a charity quiz night which also was a very fun evening. Unfortunately the next month flew by and I haven't had a chance to see any more friends. I will make up for that in March when I intend on visiting some friends at our annual "exhibition."
On the volunteer front I was able to do 2 and a half hours at the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) and 3 hours at a charity Mardi Gras event for the Naperville Jaycees (unfortunately that night was cut short because of bad stomach pains). This was a good small step to my trying to do 100 hours this year (the 250 just isn't realistic).
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, We find it hitched to to everything else in the universe." --John Muir
Goal = 100 hours
To date = 5.5 hours
To go = 94.5 hours
So now on to how the year has started. This was planned to be a year of friendship, which started out well in January. I got to have dinner with friends I haven't seen in months and we all enjoyed the night. We went to a nice Irish restaurant and it was good food and good company. I also got to have dinner with another friend and we went to a charity quiz night which also was a very fun evening. Unfortunately the next month flew by and I haven't had a chance to see any more friends. I will make up for that in March when I intend on visiting some friends at our annual "exhibition."
On the volunteer front I was able to do 2 and a half hours at the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) and 3 hours at a charity Mardi Gras event for the Naperville Jaycees (unfortunately that night was cut short because of bad stomach pains). This was a good small step to my trying to do 100 hours this year (the 250 just isn't realistic).
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, We find it hitched to to everything else in the universe." --John Muir
Goal = 100 hours
To date = 5.5 hours
To go = 94.5 hours
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2010 wrap-up
As you get older time seems to go by faster and faster. Unfortunately I still need to take time to appreciate the small things. I let time speed by me (usually while watching too much tv) and need to not waste my time on Earth. I didn't get much accomplished in 2010. Although I did join 4 new organizations I didn't do much with them. I am not going to let that happen this year.
I really intend to do my 250 hour volunteer goal this year. Since my last post I added 2 more hours decorating for the Junior Woman's Club Trick or Treating at Safety Town and 3 more hours at the Food Bank. Unfortunately I didn't even reach 50 hours total.
I have not set any resolutions for this coming year but I have just one goal to be the best I can be. There are some things I would like to do but I will not feel like a failure if they don't happen, such as learning to sew, learning to use a curling iron, improving, rebuilding, and establishing new friendships, and having an even better garden this year.
This coming year I plan to make every minute count. Happy New Year everyone.
Goal = 250 hours
Final total= 47 hours
I really intend to do my 250 hour volunteer goal this year. Since my last post I added 2 more hours decorating for the Junior Woman's Club Trick or Treating at Safety Town and 3 more hours at the Food Bank. Unfortunately I didn't even reach 50 hours total.
I have not set any resolutions for this coming year but I have just one goal to be the best I can be. There are some things I would like to do but I will not feel like a failure if they don't happen, such as learning to sew, learning to use a curling iron, improving, rebuilding, and establishing new friendships, and having an even better garden this year.
This coming year I plan to make every minute count. Happy New Year everyone.
Goal = 250 hours
Final total= 47 hours
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