[Ansteorra] Question 12/22
Darlene Vandever
hlannes at ev1.net
Thu Dec 22 07:12:00 PST 2005
> What different kinds of volunteering/jobs have you done at Gulf War?
Security, waterbearing, nastycrating, newcomer's point, parking lot
attendant, gate....anything that I could do that didn't involve lots of
walking due to my feet and knees. For the jobs that do involve walking
sometimes like security, I asked for posts that I could sit at mostly, like
being on the back gate for 8 hours one day...mostly by myself because
security was short-handed or sitting a cutting up oranges and pickles for
those with better feet to carry to the fighters.
>
> What was your favorite?
That's a very hard question. I had fun at all of them when all is said and
done. There were moments of boredom and times I thought I'd pass out from
the pain because I was so busy....but it was all good. What made it good was
the people. The grateful glances when you found that privy that needed a new
roll of toilet paper; the weary smiles as yet another road-hammered person
came thru the gate and I directed them on to their camp; the waves and grins
as people actually *found* a parking space; the thank-you's of the sweaty
fighters lining up for "orange mouths"; each and every smile more than made
up for the frowns or the fussing.
>
> What did you learn that you wouldn't have known otherwise?
The good:
It never ceases to amaze me how many hours of unceasing labor some people
are willing to put in just so the majority can have a good time at an event.
And how often they are "silent". By that I mean the only time others might
notice is when something has gone wrong because if everything was going
right, then nobody notices.But it is also heartwarming to find folks who do
notice and say "Thanks" with a smile.
The bad:
That some people are so swift to notice the glitch that inconveniences them,
and so slow to notice how it takes so much work to make their way smooth for
them. And how many are so willing to let so few serve them.
One of the things I was told to notice when I was a newcomer was how often
those who were serving me at feast or at gate or marshaling or whatever job
needed to be done wore medallions of recognition or wore sometype of
coronet. (The very people who elevated me to peerage served my feast at one
of the events I attended recently.) I was told "If you want to be one of
them....***BE THEM***." When I hear someone complain that they haven't
received recognition for something, I have to mentally review their actions.
Often I have to sadly agree that their actions do not have the merit to
receive the recognition they seek. 9 times out of 10, if they are
complaining of lack of recognition, they really haven't earned it. Its the
ones that keep working and never say a word about reward that I look for.
Annes
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