Giving Back

Though I am far from being a millionaire, like light-years (which is a distance, not a time duration but you get the gist) from it, I am quite lucky and fortunate to be living a full life surrounded by a family that I cherish, friends that I adore, and a pup that I obsess over. My lifelong dream as a kid was to become an artist but I also had a v. practical side which made me a math and science lover. My parents encouraged the latter. I ended up at college in the architecture school; a subject that I had assumed would be a harmonious combination of both of left brain and right brain strengths. When it turned out that architecture was not quite what I thought it would be I transferred to the engineering school where I found myself to be quite comfortable, despite the unpleasant smell wafting off of several unshowered students.

Changing majors was probably one of the best decisions of my life because I secured a job right out of school and I work for a successful engineering company that does work across the U.S. and internationally. I suppose that in my ideal world, I would be living in Paris just cooking and creating art and hanging out eating baguettes all day long. But I must admit, having a steady paycheck is awesome. It allows me the luxury of indulging in frivolous shopping, multiple holiday getaways every year, and a subscription to Netflix.

But, life is more than just a career and money, right? For a while, I had been looking for a way to give a bit of my time back to my community but I could never drag my butt off of the couch long enough to make any commitments. Luckily, the stars aligned themselves perfectly and I somehow managed to get my way onto the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter list-serve. There are several ways for volunteers to offer their time but I've chosen to socialize cats and dogs. So, once or twice a week, I head to the shelter and just spend some time with cuddly and furry cuties who just want a little of my affection.

As much as they enjoy a break from their kennels/crates, I think I get much more out of spending time with these guys than they do spending time with lil' ol' me. Animals don't lie, they don't cheat, they don't backstab; they just appreciate your company and are looking for a little love.

I've only been volunteering for a couple months at this point, but it's been so much fun and incredibly rewarding. I know it sounds cliche but it's made me really happy. It's great to hang out with the pups and kitties and watch them find great homes. It makes my heart feel so full.

I write this post not as a way to pressure anyone into charity/volunteer work (though, if you feel compelled to, then that's great). I just want to document the way I'm feeling at this moment - after all, what's a blog if not a sort of public diary? - and I find that when I declare something "publicly" I have more motivation and encouragement to keep myself going. But, I must give MPAS a little plug. If you feel like giving a little (or a lot) please do.

Thanks for reading.

xoxo.