Giving back

This is the time of year when we are supposed to be charitable right? That is the main theme of A Christmas Carol.   I have been just giving money as the ONE time I volunteered for a Christmas Charity I was burned!  I volunteered for Salvation Army Christmas Joy.  I had thoughts about happily doing that every year. We gave poor people gifts for their kids UNDER the age of 13 and food baskets.

The FIRST woman I got wanted to know what we had for her 14 year old son. I said we don't give to kids that age as they don't want toys. The Army people had told  EVERYONE that was the rule, NO gifts for kids over 13.  She made such a big stink over it! I finally said look we received tons of motorized scooters. Even though we really aren't supposed to have gifts for older kids  I could give you one of those if you thought he would like it.  Well if you AREN'T supposed to then why are you"?!  Oh man, I wanted to hit her! The woman volunteer in front of me whipped around and said to the evil bitch, "seriously", when she is TRYING to help you?!!  Oh, OH👿 The evil person said nothing but just had this obnoxious look on her face.

The next time I went to take a person to the toy room, I said I DON'T want ANYONE who has a child OVER 13!!!!  I helped other people that day, all who were so nice and grateful but that one person soured me so much I never did it again.

Dad had a similar experience delivering meals for the "poor".  He and a friend went to one house that seemed pretty nice and there was a Mercedes in the driveway. Hmmm😕 they tried to not make much of it till they went in the woman's house. " Oh, yeah, she said" put it in the back room with the "others". They went to the backroom and it was filled with gift baskets!!  They never volunteered again either. So many people can really use the help it's awful when one bad apple has to spoil it for the ones who truly need and deserve it. Ugh, evil people suck!

I have been looking for year round volunteer services too, something with animals. Although an animal shelter could be dangerous as I'd want to take them all home!  My best volunteer job in the past had been at the "Clearwater Marine Aquarium", yes the home of Winter the tailless dolphin and her friend Hope.  I worked for them prior to their star dolphins, then the Star was Sunset Sam, another dolphin who had beached himself and was rescued and saved by the Aquarium.  I loved Sam and would visit him every day as soon as I came to work.  He was a prolific painter.  All the staff would laugh when I took it upon myself to analyze his works.  The painting I bought mom and now my sister has was " A self portrait" (according to me), mine was "dolphins in Sunset" and my daughter's is "Sam and Panama", it actually LOOKED like two dolphins and a plus sign!  That was right after the aquarium found Panama and she became his tank mate.  The last painting he ever did was distressing, muddy brown sludge over the canvass. I looked at it and blurted out ," I don't know, I diseased intestine maybe?"  He died a week later and I think he was trying to tell us something!  Mom had called me after watching the news, " I just saw this and don't want you to read it in the paper" and she told me he had died. I cried and cried.

  I did get to go to his funeral though, to this day it was the best I ever went to. There were 4 speakers and a priest and we all signed a giant card with his picture on it saying what he meant to us. The priest was surprised at the crowd. He had been to human funerals where no one showed up and here was one for an animal and 100 mourners were there.  He was worth it.

Another fun volunteer position was at RI Park Zoo in RI.  There was a friendly, fun group of people
volunteering there. I would give tours to school groups or take our "Zoomobile" out and take a few animals to schools or birthday parties.  It was so much fun.  I really wish I could find something similar here, but I've drawn a blank.  Maybe the new Year will bring fresh ideas.

Today is Jim and my anniversary, 22 years today and will be celebrating later. It is also another anniversary. Three months to the day that mom died. This will be our first Christmas without her. And she LOVED Christmas!  More than most kids. So that's hard and I know dad is feeling it too.  I really want to wish every a very Merry Christmas and hold loved ones close, you never know what tomorrow will bring.