Good on you Alton! I fully agree. If you can't work, volunteer. Several years ago, I was asked to go to a nursing home and visit with an older family friend. She was a retired teacher and had been diagnosed with macular degeneration. She was no longer able to read which she missed terribly. So I started reading to her one hour a week. That quickly became two and three hours and instead of just reading to her, my audience grew. Within the first six weeks I had eight, then ten, fifteen listeners. We had to go from the original room to the activity room. It was wonderful! Sure there were some sad times when I would realize that one of the listeners had passed but I met some wonderful people who I would have never gotten to know. If transportation is a problem, there are ways to get where you really want to go. That nursing home sent their van several times in bad weather to pick me up.
Larry in Oklahoma who is truly a richer person for this experience.
From: Alton Ryder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: tmic-list list <[email protected]>
Subject: [TMIC] CONTRIBUTING WHEN YOU MIGHT INSTEAD FEEL USELESS
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:55:33 -0400
Losing physical capabilities does not, in itself, make you unable to contribute to your world.You might not work as you did before, so you must adapt.If you are unable to hold a job you can still volunteer. Volunteer your time, brains, experience, and computer skills. Be useful and even "indispensable" to your church, a local hobby shop, your local government, your school, or a local NGO. Work on someone's political campaign.A touch of senility makes me unable to hold a regular, full or part time job. It doesn't keep me from serving my community. I am an elected, unpaid, municipal cemetery trustee: I created and I maintain our website,http://cemetery.mont-vernon.nh.us/ Until recently it was my phone that rang when a customer or funeral home called. I sold lots and kept the books. I wrote our handbook, and now I publish our minutes on the web. I also am one of the three people elected to maintain our town's list of registered voters. I was a consultant when the state instituted a state-wide voter registration list. I have served on the budget committees of the village school and the Selectmen.I am the president of the state cemetery association. I manage our schedule, suggest speakers, and get on the phone/email to line up speakers. I have testified on new legislation.Tell me again why my senility, wheelchair, and reluctance to drive should make me useless.
Alton
See what youre getting into before you go there
