[Ansteorra] Question 12/22

[Darlene Vandever]

> 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