A Blessing or a Curse?

It’s been so hot for so long I’ve been spending time indoors at the computer while weeds are taking over my yard. I maybe have a little Attention Deficit Disorder. At the time I might have been diagnosed with such a problem, no one had ever heard of it. As an adult, I actually like juggling 25 things at once. It does make it difficult to follow my train of thought. (Ask my husband or my friends…they’ll tell you the word they use most often when talking to me is: “What?!”)

So, when I sat down to write my column this week, I had a topic in mind, but, as anyone with ADD will tell you, procrastination is part of the deal. Instead of pounding out the story I had been burning to tell, I cruised around the internet a bit. First, I saw an article claiming Soulja Boy (a rap singer) spent $55 million on a Gulfstream jet as a birthday present to himself.  Immediately, I was incensed. Why would anyone spend that kind of money on a plane? That drove me to dwell on John Travolta who owns FOUR planes! Then I was off on a tangent because Jay Leno owns about 400 vehicles, makes 32 million a year and is worth at least 150 million dollars. Fortunately, the Soulja Boy story turned out to be a hoax, and I saved a lot of griping about that. (Right about now is when my husband or my friends use that word: “What?!”)

I don’t have the kind of money to purchase big ticket items like those. You probably don’t either, or you wouldn’t be reading the Dale City Patch. You might be reading the Beverly Hills Patch. I actually don’t have any money, since I retired 15 years ago with no pension or benefits, as do many self-employed people. Obviously, then, I’m not a big cash donor to the many charities and causes I support. What I do contribute is time, labor and energy.

I have the gift of time because my kids are long grown and are scattered across the United States. I don’t have any grandchildren. My cats are dead. I don’t watch television. Yet, my days are packed full of adventure and meaning. I feel grateful to fill the gaps that are left from so many working and commuting. I have purpose and goals because I care for and work for the people who surround me.

You probably don’t have the gift of time like I do, but I bet you could find one hour a week to donate to some worthy effort. If you need some suggestions, please contact me…I can connect you with some great opportunities.  If you really don’t think you’d like to work for Habitat for Humanity or volunteer with the Clean Community Council. Here’s a simple way to ease into understanding your county. Just visit the county website.

You’ll find lots of information about your county and voting information for the primaries on August 23, too. While you’re there, click the tab for “Board Meeting Info and Videos.” That will take you to a page to view past Board of County Supervisors meetings. That’s where the movers and shakers shape our present and our future. Let me know what you think about that.