Volunteering is to donate one’s time to a cause they deem worthy. It’s considered a selfless act which often receives gratitude. The “cause” can range from helping sea turtles and butterflies to saving mankind/womenkind. Pick a random day on the calendar and it will read “Inter/National Save The … Day.” I’m sure that there are thousands upon thousands of causes I couldn’t start to imagine. If a problem is worthy of having the word “cause” attached to it then by all means, let’s fix it.

But volunteering, the dedication, that’s what I am talking about today. People throw money at something and then feel that their job is done. Great, causes need every cent, and everyone who can give a few bucks here or millions there. But, it’s not the same as volunteering. Technically money speaks much louder than those who volunteer, but volunteering is what makes the money speak, it’s what gives money a voice, and the more volunteers a cause draws in the louder the money will speak.

Helping move a cause to extinction is the goal, a righteous one at that. And if one were to doubt this all they need do is look back in time and do a high school English class assignment; compare and contrast. The further they go back the more the two times contrast.

At least this is true for most volunteering and donating. But I have different motives. I volunteer because it makes me feel good. I volunteer because it helps connect me to something, it grounds me. I volunteer because I can then say I didn’t just sit back and complain. (My parents always told me that I could only complain if I planned on fixing the problem.)

Yes, I am selfish. Yes, it’s all about me. Me me me. I’m investing in my future when I invest in those things among me. But solely because I don’t want to have to deal with the cause anymore and I am tired of hearing about the problem. I’m lazy. I will do a lot less lifting if I lift now versus years down the road. Obviously I am not a procrastinator. I’m simply too lazy to procrastinate. I am simply too selfish to let someone else do the work I can do.

So there you have it. I’m completely selfish, to the n-th degree. I just want the problem over. I’m tired of dealing with it. The concept of dealing with it is so burdenous that I just get up out of my chair and get it over with. Like tearing the bandaid off or jumping in the deep end of a freezing cold body of water.

And that folks is why I volunteer.

E.T. Aka Annie