Since I've been volunteering (and when volunteering, I do a lot observing) I've done a lot of people watching. I've also noticed a lot about people, and myself.
Here's what I've noticed about students at the school:
They love technology --- Not just when a teacher uses it to enhance their lesson, or emphasize a concept, but they love the colour, the features, the apps, the case it comes with, and most of all, they love their friends' version, and they'll do anything to get one, even if it means cracking the face on theirs, just to say they can't use their old grubby one anymore. They love it so much that they attach their hands and eyes to it via invisible force fields that actually make it semi-possible to hear and speak, but not exactly listen and converse with whomever is nearby.
Sometimes, in the midst of a lesson one will yell out "OMG I totally love this song!" with no concern for the learners and teachers in their midst.
Can I express any further how this love for the new technology era makes me feel as someone who is still trying to get a point across? Sure, I'm "blogging" about it, but it doesn't mean I want you to drop everything you're doing, and everyone you're with just so that you can re-tape your eyes to your "conveniently hand-held" screens. What I'm really concerned about is when someone is constantly involved with their phone and they're around friends or other people. This may be a shot in the dark, but I think at some point in your journey to be with the people you are currently with, you were actually texting or phoning one of them to arrange this so-called 'get together'. Am I wrong? Am I wrong to say that we're merely magnifying the idea that the grass is greener on the other side? And the idea that, I may be talking to you face-to-face right here, but the person in my phone is going to take precedence over you because when my phone dingles, they are now a sense of entertainment for me. Also, you'll still be standing there waiting for me to talk to you (or checking in on your own phone) and the person in my phone may be in serious distress! Or worse, not replying!
I just miss the days where people would come together and hold a nice conversation without either a) checking their phone every 2 minutes, or b) speaking in txt -- where they are holding two or more conversations with different people, you and their significant other across the room, who checks their phone every other 2 minutes. *Thanksgiving, point taken.
I can't wait for the day people start laughing about something and accidently (or not) yell out "[the letters] O.M.G, L.O.L!" I WANT to be there when that happens.
So, that's me volunteering at the school. But I also recently volunteered to collect food donations with the local food share program. Here's what I noticed about people while I was doing this:
1) If you're standing at the entrance across from a display of $2.99 windshield washer fluid, and someone is walking towards you and they notice you're going to try and tell them something about how they can make a difference in the lives of other people, who do you think is going to get their attention? I've never understood what is so impressive about windshield washer fluid until now: $2.99?! like come on, seriously? That's so cheap!!
2) People see you, volunteering, being all good and such, and they know that they want to say no to you, since they're exhausted with Christmas already, so, instead of being rude and saying no (or doing the obvious: "I'm not ignoring you, I just really like the way the Washer Fluid looks in this lighting, $2.99 oh Wow!!") they revert to verbally deficating each and every single event of recent donating or volunteering they've done for your cause or other causes "just so you know I'm not really a bad person, but I don't want to do the pussy thing and ignore you by checking out the latest $2.99 special across the way".
I think it's sweet, because really, it's my volunteer duty to ask you to donate (whether your looking at me or my blue friends), that's why I'm here, so if you've already done your thing, THANK YOU!!! :) But if you haven't, you definitely should. Because it may be sooner or later that that person asking you to donate to a worthy cause, actually becomes that worthy cause. Just sayin'.
I did mention I'd noticed a couple things about myself as a volunteer, like, Why the heck am I begging people for donations when I could be donating or working for money?
Well, if you know me, and I know me, I am volunteering at the school to get experience, so that I can get that donation-funding job. I volunteer with the food share because I need to give more at Christmas, as so many of the volunteers realize about themselves at this time of year.
I've also realized that, I do love helping, but something's gotta give. And soon. I have been out of school with two degrees for 6 months now (I only remembered 6 because OSAP recently never lets me forget!) and I can't even get a job at Subway! (Hellooo-ooo I have experience!!) LAUGH OUT LOUD.
But seriously, I'm really looking forward to that first pay check again, even if its not because I've landed a teaching job. That's the best case scenario of course. But, right now, this barrel is empty and I'm at the bottom of it. I've never been here before, but I want to get out and never come back!
Hopefully Christmas will "Bring good reason for Cheer"!
Keep smilin'. :)
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