Imma be real honest, you guys. I'm tired of writing.
Yes, that's right. I'm a professional writing major, and I'm tired of writing.
But I'll do my best to cough up some deep-down thoughts for this blog post.
Dr. Barry Morris, Professor Emeritus of Economics, was our very last speaker at forum, and I would venture to say the best we've had. He had some juicy tidbits of knowledge to impart, and he also wanted to listen to what we had to say.
Today, I'm writing about the fiercest of the wisdom bombs that he dropped on us. I haven't looked at the other blogs to confirm, but I'm sure this is what everyone else is writing about as well, due to the vigorous scribbling that ensued on just about everyone's notes right after he said it. He said, and I paraphrase here, that before we should consider ourselves suitable to look after someone else, we must first ensure that we ourselves are taken care of. Because I am was raised good 'n' proper in a wholesome, God-fearin' Southern home, my Sunday school mind automatically reverted to that analogy that don't get no rest..you know, that one about 'It's easier for someone to pull you down that it is for you to pull them up.' And then I'm all, how does the Law of Gravity apply to volunteerism? And then I realize it's just like Mr. Osborne said last week that you're gonna get in a volunteer slump. And then I realized that that slump isn't just caused by me and my lack of resolve, it can also be because of people you're working with that can discourage you. Maybe they're ungrateful, or rude, or unreceptive. Whatever the case, service is draining, and that's real life.
So, I think it's safe to say that Barry suggests exercise and a healthy diet or you can't volunteer.
JK.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tom the Deacon.
Tom Osborne, a deacon at the Episcopal Church of America, gave an interesting, fresh perspective about volunteerism, particularly "Engaging the world under the auspices of religion."
Tom was very open about sharing his faith, and I admired the fact that he was true to himself and God. The thing about Mr. Osborne was, he was very honest. I really appreciated this, but I think I was a little let down by some things he said. Like about why he does nice things for people.
"Brotherly kindness," yep.
"Servanthood," totally with you, man.
"I almost always have to deal with reluctance to do what I know I need to do," he admitted. "There's a certain understandable element of human reluctance to be a servant, and you will not lose this. But, with practice, you will be able to overcome it."
I feel that. I feel it every Saturday morning when I'm trying to peel myself out of my warm bed to go to the soup kitchen. Here's where Tom and I diverge:
He said his church is very involved with Kairos prison ministry, where they go and fellowship with the inmates. "Whether or not we succeeded in accomplishing our spiritual goals with these inmates, we all left with a blessing," he said, adding that it got to the point where they had to get their "Kairos fix." I guess this doesn't sit right with me because, up until now, I've heard that volunteerism should be about who you're serving, not about how it makes you feel. I think I have to take issue with the whole "accomplishing spiritual goals" thing too. I'm assuming that, by that, he means seeing the inmates accept Christ. But if his goal was just to share the love of Christ as it should be (in my opinion), he should be accomplishing that no matter what response he gets from the inmates. Something about his word choice just makes me think he sees the inmates as a catalyst for a spiritual high. Maybe that was just poor word choice, or maybe Mr. Osborne was just more honest than the others.
Tom was very open about sharing his faith, and I admired the fact that he was true to himself and God. The thing about Mr. Osborne was, he was very honest. I really appreciated this, but I think I was a little let down by some things he said. Like about why he does nice things for people.
"Brotherly kindness," yep.
"Servanthood," totally with you, man.
"I almost always have to deal with reluctance to do what I know I need to do," he admitted. "There's a certain understandable element of human reluctance to be a servant, and you will not lose this. But, with practice, you will be able to overcome it."
I feel that. I feel it every Saturday morning when I'm trying to peel myself out of my warm bed to go to the soup kitchen. Here's where Tom and I diverge:
He said his church is very involved with Kairos prison ministry, where they go and fellowship with the inmates. "Whether or not we succeeded in accomplishing our spiritual goals with these inmates, we all left with a blessing," he said, adding that it got to the point where they had to get their "Kairos fix." I guess this doesn't sit right with me because, up until now, I've heard that volunteerism should be about who you're serving, not about how it makes you feel. I think I have to take issue with the whole "accomplishing spiritual goals" thing too. I'm assuming that, by that, he means seeing the inmates accept Christ. But if his goal was just to share the love of Christ as it should be (in my opinion), he should be accomplishing that no matter what response he gets from the inmates. Something about his word choice just makes me think he sees the inmates as a catalyst for a spiritual high. Maybe that was just poor word choice, or maybe Mr. Osborne was just more honest than the others.
II John
Forum was visited by John Rusevlyan of the Florence Rotary Club. You can pick out a good speaker when the things they say stick to you like toilet paper sticking to the bottom of your shoes. Yes. I just compared John Rusevlyan to a dirty bathroom. What ya gonna do about it?
"Sometimes the problem is too close to your face for you to be able to see it," he said.
I've never heard anyone say that before, but I think it's a really good analogy that holds true. His point was that people need outside help--no one person can efficiently take on a challenge alone. That's why people in the church have accountability partners, that's why Simba has a Timon and Pumba, and that's why Steve Jobs had a Steve Wozniak--because we aren't designed to function independently.
Not to say that leadership is out the window. The world needs some brave souls to step up, maybe even single-handedly, for a cause they believe in. But leaders eventually need followers to make their cause worthwhile. John displayed this in his own life. He is also a realtor who started his business in the midst of a recession. That's a huge challenge, but he has persevered and become a successful business man for it.
I'll close with one other quote of his that stuck.
"If you're not growing, you're dying."
Don't be a watcher, be a do-er. That's all I've got.
"Sometimes the problem is too close to your face for you to be able to see it," he said.
I've never heard anyone say that before, but I think it's a really good analogy that holds true. His point was that people need outside help--no one person can efficiently take on a challenge alone. That's why people in the church have accountability partners, that's why Simba has a Timon and Pumba, and that's why Steve Jobs had a Steve Wozniak--because we aren't designed to function independently.
Not to say that leadership is out the window. The world needs some brave souls to step up, maybe even single-handedly, for a cause they believe in. But leaders eventually need followers to make their cause worthwhile. John displayed this in his own life. He is also a realtor who started his business in the midst of a recession. That's a huge challenge, but he has persevered and become a successful business man for it.
I'll close with one other quote of his that stuck.
"If you're not growing, you're dying."
Don't be a watcher, be a do-er. That's all I've got.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Elizabeth Moore, a volunteer representative for Red Cross spoke at forum this week. At least, that was the plan. She ended up not showing, so most of us, myself included, thought that forum was off for the week. But just as I was on the edge of my seat, about to make a dash for the door and head to Rivertown, we were settled back into our seats by Vince. I wasn't expecting the lesson he gave us, especially considering the unexpectedness of her cancellation. But Vince had quite a testament to share regarding motives in volunteerism.
He seemed more perturbed about the situation than any of us, probably because he puts a ton of time into lining up speakers that he thinks we'll benefit from. This aside, I'm not clear on the specifics of why she cancelled, and why this affected Vince so. The Red Cross handles disaster relief, so they were busy responding to the disaster caused by Hurricane Sandy. Vince said it himself, "You can't plan for disaster like Sandy." Seems to me that Moore could have been dealing with the chaos as Red Cross responded to the emergency. But I believe I'm missing some information about why she dipped out on us.
The theme of Vince's spiel was this:
"Sometimes you have to stick it out with an organization that is doing less than they could do, because you stand for what they can be. As you volunteer, don't lose your head. Question it. Are people being efficient and appropriate?"
I think what I got out of it most was that he shattered that conception that volunteer organizations are the be-all and end-all. Not so. As we see tonight, organizations are no better than the people involved. As I volunteer with the soup kitchen, I'm representing the church and the others I work with. Lotta responsibility for a college student.
He seemed more perturbed about the situation than any of us, probably because he puts a ton of time into lining up speakers that he thinks we'll benefit from. This aside, I'm not clear on the specifics of why she cancelled, and why this affected Vince so. The Red Cross handles disaster relief, so they were busy responding to the disaster caused by Hurricane Sandy. Vince said it himself, "You can't plan for disaster like Sandy." Seems to me that Moore could have been dealing with the chaos as Red Cross responded to the emergency. But I believe I'm missing some information about why she dipped out on us.
The theme of Vince's spiel was this:
"Sometimes you have to stick it out with an organization that is doing less than they could do, because you stand for what they can be. As you volunteer, don't lose your head. Question it. Are people being efficient and appropriate?"
I think what I got out of it most was that he shattered that conception that volunteer organizations are the be-all and end-all. Not so. As we see tonight, organizations are no better than the people involved. As I volunteer with the soup kitchen, I'm representing the church and the others I work with. Lotta responsibility for a college student.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Play Ball!
Bradley Dean is creative director at Billy Reid and is not a fan of crowds, he said. He graduated UNA with an art degree and admitted disappointment in the quality of education he received here. Since then, he has been his own teacher and life coach, and I'd say, based on his position for a world-class clothing designer, that he's doing alright for himself. For the fifty minutes that he talked to our band of fifty-something honors kids, I got an idea of what the inside of his mind is like, and I think it's very similar to Black Friday at Circuit City...in technicolor...with dupstep playing over the intercom. He has a beautiful imagination and lots of snippets of brilliant ideas, but with no organization whatsoever. It was funny.
He taught us about initiative. Falling into stagnancy is like hitting writer's block in that the only way to get over it is just to look it square in the eyeballs. Maya Angelou said when she would get into a writing slump, she would just write. Words that rhymed, incoherent words, made-up words, you name it. The key is to never turn what you enjoy doing into a chore. According to Bradley Dean, fun is how good ideas are born.
As for the idea-less? Come on in.
"The first follower turns a lone nut into a leader," said Bradley. As much as life needs leaders, it also needs brave followers. Just get off the bleachers.
He taught us about initiative. Falling into stagnancy is like hitting writer's block in that the only way to get over it is just to look it square in the eyeballs. Maya Angelou said when she would get into a writing slump, she would just write. Words that rhymed, incoherent words, made-up words, you name it. The key is to never turn what you enjoy doing into a chore. According to Bradley Dean, fun is how good ideas are born.
As for the idea-less? Come on in.
"The first follower turns a lone nut into a leader," said Bradley. As much as life needs leaders, it also needs brave followers. Just get off the bleachers.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
When Ms. Leslie Tomlinson of the Junior League of the Shoals came to speak in forum, I learned so much.
I mean, I knew this night would be promising when Vince Brewton taught us the plural of "spouse"--"spice."
That's right.
Let me start with a story.
Freshman year, some friends and I were young and ambitious and wanted to be involved on everything on campus. We attended this meeting for a volunteer organization only to find that there was a fee--nearly $50--to enter. Like, what? Paying to volunteer? Does this strike anyone else as madness? They may have had reasons for this fee, but I didn't stay to find out what. Why make volunteerism more difficult?
Ms. Leslie Tomlinson, Junior League of the Shoals, talked about something along these lines. She took an active role in resisting an old Junior League rule that women could no longer work for Junior League once they reached a certain age. What's better, she succeeded and got that rule removed in this area. I liked this about her. She stepped on toes in the process of doing what she knew to be right.
She also talked about how we could resist what she called "stagnancy" in our own lives.
"You can be the stick in the mud," she said,
"but why would you want to?"
Hm. Interesting thought, Ms. Tomlinson. I mean, I could think of one reason, and that's ease. Many of the decisions we make can be boiled down to a fundamental battle between conviction and comfort. For Ms. Tomlinson, conviction has prevailed.
I mean, I knew this night would be promising when Vince Brewton taught us the plural of "spouse"--"spice."
That's right.
Let me start with a story.
Freshman year, some friends and I were young and ambitious and wanted to be involved on everything on campus. We attended this meeting for a volunteer organization only to find that there was a fee--nearly $50--to enter. Like, what? Paying to volunteer? Does this strike anyone else as madness? They may have had reasons for this fee, but I didn't stay to find out what. Why make volunteerism more difficult?
Ms. Leslie Tomlinson, Junior League of the Shoals, talked about something along these lines. She took an active role in resisting an old Junior League rule that women could no longer work for Junior League once they reached a certain age. What's better, she succeeded and got that rule removed in this area. I liked this about her. She stepped on toes in the process of doing what she knew to be right.
She also talked about how we could resist what she called "stagnancy" in our own lives.
"You can be the stick in the mud," she said,
"but why would you want to?"
Hm. Interesting thought, Ms. Tomlinson. I mean, I could think of one reason, and that's ease. Many of the decisions we make can be boiled down to a fundamental battle between conviction and comfort. For Ms. Tomlinson, conviction has prevailed.
Once More, With Emotion
Forum over the past two weeks has gone swimmingly. I'm learning a lot about the ethics of volunteerism, possibly more than either of the speakers expected or even intended. I'm choosing to condense the past two weeks into one blog post in order to show you what I mean. So there's two gentlemen. These guys are some money-making dudes with very different 'tudes. We've got John Lane, a Periodontist, one of the least glamorous professions ever, but he makes good money doing it. He didn't talk much about his work, just about the time that he has spend working with The Healing Place, an organization for grieving children and families. Then, we've got Jacki Hendrix (I'm fairly certain that's not indeed how his name is spelled, but I choose this way because it's fun), who's the Chair of the Florence Chamber of Commerce, which operates completely on a volunteer basis. His real job is something involving tent rentals, he didn't get into the specifics. He said he makes some serious cha-chang.
These two speakers stood in stark contrast to one another, and I may not have even picked up on the differences had they not spoken back-to-back. In order to illustrate these differences, I initially spent way too much time on a flow chart comparing and contrasting the two. Then, I realized this was lame and looked more like the handiwork of a newborn ape. So I will stick to what college has taught me all too well: the good ol' fashioned paragraph.
Neither Lane nor Hendrix regarded volunteerism as a "check-the-box" sort of deal. They would agree that it's a means to a much greater end. Both would agree that the faces impacted by the organization make the work worthwhile. The difference? Lane's speech came from the heart. It was heavy and emotional and vulnerable. You see, Cerebral Palsy claimed the life of his son, and he shared with some difficulty about the grief that he and his family had experienced, and how that drove them to get involved with The Healing Place. Hendrix talked about the advantages of volunteerism, but he spoke of people in the names-to-add-to-your-Rolodex sense. Hendrix has a pleasant personality, and is likely very good at making friends. As a result, he has a good position on the social ladder and every reason to take pride in that. But I felt that his heart was somewhere far off.
I'll apply this to me. Recently, I've been reminded in multiple ways how much I like people. While I cherish, even revere my alone time, my friends are an essential part of who I am. I've been to the soup kitchen thrice now--just enough time to see that there's regulars (and a good many irregulars, if we're being honest). The first two times I was washing dishes, the somebody's-gotta-do-it job. Pruny fingers aside, this should have been a prime job for an introvert like myself. However, it was the time I got to pass out plates of food with Kristen that I felt was time well spent. Whether the people there said anything or not, I like to think that I had the chance to change the course of someone's day with a plate of warm food.
So, that's the honest-to-god truth. I like people. Don't alphabetize them or reduce them to numbers. They belong in your life, not your Rolodex.
These two speakers stood in stark contrast to one another, and I may not have even picked up on the differences had they not spoken back-to-back. In order to illustrate these differences, I initially spent way too much time on a flow chart comparing and contrasting the two. Then, I realized this was lame and looked more like the handiwork of a newborn ape. So I will stick to what college has taught me all too well: the good ol' fashioned paragraph.
Neither Lane nor Hendrix regarded volunteerism as a "check-the-box" sort of deal. They would agree that it's a means to a much greater end. Both would agree that the faces impacted by the organization make the work worthwhile. The difference? Lane's speech came from the heart. It was heavy and emotional and vulnerable. You see, Cerebral Palsy claimed the life of his son, and he shared with some difficulty about the grief that he and his family had experienced, and how that drove them to get involved with The Healing Place. Hendrix talked about the advantages of volunteerism, but he spoke of people in the names-to-add-to-your-Rolodex sense. Hendrix has a pleasant personality, and is likely very good at making friends. As a result, he has a good position on the social ladder and every reason to take pride in that. But I felt that his heart was somewhere far off.
I'll apply this to me. Recently, I've been reminded in multiple ways how much I like people. While I cherish, even revere my alone time, my friends are an essential part of who I am. I've been to the soup kitchen thrice now--just enough time to see that there's regulars (and a good many irregulars, if we're being honest). The first two times I was washing dishes, the somebody's-gotta-do-it job. Pruny fingers aside, this should have been a prime job for an introvert like myself. However, it was the time I got to pass out plates of food with Kristen that I felt was time well spent. Whether the people there said anything or not, I like to think that I had the chance to change the course of someone's day with a plate of warm food.
So, that's the honest-to-god truth. I like people. Don't alphabetize them or reduce them to numbers. They belong in your life, not your Rolodex.
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