On Volunteering

Putting in my time yesterday got me thinking: my gig at Passion Works is as much about work as it is relating with the artists. And I have to admit, many times the work can get trying. Yesterday, toward the end, I was counting the minutes because the artists weren't in and I had to do a very repetitive task (stamping candy envelopes for Halloween).

The mountain of envelopes taunts me.

I guess I was luckier than the saps the day before though, who had to move a ton of junk down from the attic, scraping their knees along the way. But more to the point: as my friend said, there's value in volunteer work, but is it worth the effort? Perhaps it's my formerly Catholic masochism speaking, but I think so.

No, the work I do is no match for having good conversations with artists, but in a way it certainly benefits them. The outlining I did for passion flowers will go toward potential sales of those items someday; the stamping of those envelopes--while not really benefiting the artists--will bring some joy to a wee trick-or-treater come Monday. It's important to keep this in perspective, or you lose sight of the fact that whatever you do matters.

I'm agnostic, leaning on atheist, yet I go to plenty of church meals throughout the week and partake in plenty of before-meal prayers, because I do identify with one feature of organized religion: service. Sometimes I marvel at Judith Svendsem, the woman who volunteers at UCM's Thursday Supper and the Church of Christ's dinner and probably countless other venues. And she's getting on in years, to top it off. I guess some people get the concept of indirect service, of not seeing the returns of one's actions but trusting that they're there. It comes easier for them than it does for me, that's for sure. And for that they ought to be thankful.

See below for some pictures of the many things people were busying themselves with at the 'Works: