Thank you, everyone, for the supportive comments on the last post. I just needed to vent, and if you can't vent on your blog, then where can you? I have decided to go back to my original plan of dieting via Weight Watchers. And on a side note, it ticks me off when their commercials say "Stop dieting, start living. Try Weight Watchers today!" because it IS a diet. Jeez louise, who do they think they are fooling? Any program that doesn't say, "Eat whatever the hell you want, any time you want!" IS A DIET.
Duh.
Where was I? Oh yes. Back to the old diet regime. I feel thinner already, actually. I have been super good for.......well, 48 hours. It's a start, right? And according to my scale this morning (I swear on carrot sticks I have not weighed myself since Saturday) I have lost a pound.
And I did a kick-ass workout last night at the gym. My trainer rocks. He somehow knows where the line between "push yourself so hard that you impress yourself" and "ok, this is just human torture" lies. I always leave his workouts proud of myself.
Then I ran two miles. YESSSSS.
Now that I am totally off-topic, I will discuss what I meant to discuss when I wrote that title above.
I am going to (hopefully) start volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I have been wanting to volunteer for a while now, because I'm starting to feel like my life is so self-absorbed and I'm really blessed. Now that I've lived in the Columbia area for 6 years, I'm really starting to feel like this is my community, so I want to give back. I have the time in my schedule. I knew that I wanted something really hands-on. Fundraising isn't really my thing. I toyed around with the idea of being a foster parent for a Boston Terrier Rescue. But I have enough pee on my carpet, and the closest organization is in NC. Then I thought about maybe working with recovering alcoholics, but I think that will be too real for me. Since I never went through a 12 Step Program and don't need to go to meetings, I don't know if I can relate to someone who has lost their spouse, job, house and kids to the bottle. I don't know if I have the ability to deal with a 3am phone call and talk someone down from going out and getting drunk. That is something I don't know if I can handle. But maybe one day, I will try that. For now, I want to start off small.
I'm never going to be one of those people who changes the world in a major way and has streets named after them or makes it into the history books, but I think I can be the person who will affect ONE person in a great way. That sounds like something I can do. I can't put a lot of good into the world, but I think I can put a lot of good into one person's life.
Plus, I love kids. Of any age, really.
And coloring. (From what I gather, there's a lot of coloring going on. WOOT)
So now, I am waiting for them to do the background check and talk to my references. Then I will have an interview, and then they will match me up with my "little". I didn't know this, but they try to match women up with girls and men with boys. They also try to match you with someone of the same race, which I think is interesting. I don't really see why those things matter. But whatever. I guess they know what they are doing.
Once I get matched (the parents of the child and I both have to agree to the match), I am supposed to spend a minimum of 4 hours per month with the child, for one year. Totally do-able.
I'm just worried that they will set me up with some kid who comes from a really crappy situation, and I will just burst into tears every time I look at her! I have a hard time dealing with crappy kid stories. I can picture it now--
Little Girl: Dude, you're crying again???
Me: *sniff* Yeah! I *sob* just can't believe *sniff* what you've been through!! For someone to do that to a child--
LG: It's not a big deal. I told you, I have been in this situation my whole life. It's not even a big deal to me anymore, although the shrink says that I'm permanently scarred, but what the hell does he know? The courts are working it all out. I'm gonna go to foster care and a ton of therapy. There's already a restraining order against --
Me: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! Ok! Ok! I have an idea!! Why don't you just come and live at my house with me?? Huh? Isn't that a great idea???
LG: Ok, Virginia, we have already talked about this. No can do. I'm sorry.
Me: But...but....
LG: Ugh, I can't take this anymore. I'm going to ask for a re-assignment. You're an absurd person. What kind of role model are you, anyway? All you do is cry and ask me to live with you. I just want to color and watch Dora the Explorer. Why don't you just go steal a baby or something? Jeez lady, get a grip!
*she storms out*
*more crying on my part*
*LG gets restraining order against me for caring too much. BBBS reprimands me for becoming "unhealthily attached to child, to the point that the child experienced stress and needed even more therapy" and "recommends that I volunteer for another organization" due to my "extreme emotionality". *
Oh boy. There goes my overactive imagination...
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10 comments:
I'm so impressed! A friend is doing BBBS in Philadelphia and she loves it. I hope you have as awesome a little as she does!
I, too, have been trying to do more volunteer work. Last night I ushered at a theater. It was awesome!
My luck I'd get the junior pick-pocket in training and I'd lose my wallet every time I see them, only I'm so forgetful that I'd never realize that's what happened. Eventually the kid would seize the opportunity to steal my identity and I'd end up losing my house and all my possesions trying to prosecute a seven year old. Then someone would have to come and be my big sister because I'll have become this shriveled up little bawl bag whining about everything that has gone wrong in my life.
You are such a good person. :)
That last part was freakin' funny! I think it's great you're going to do the BB/BS thing. It's pretty obvious you're good with kids. It might start stirring up thoughts of CN babies, though.
"You're an absurd person"
Yeah, that's how the little kids talk nowadays. lol.
You are such a kind and unselfish person VB
BBBS is something I can picture myself doing too. Except of course I haven't gotten off my duff yet to do it. Good for you! Let us know how it goes.
Congrats on the BB/BS! It is very true that you can do good one kid at a time. I'm sure you will do very well.
One comment on your last post: Weight Watchers DOES have two plans (I think they both are still going) right now--the CORE plan and the FLEX. The FLEX is their points plan and CORE is one closer to South Beach, so that means lower carbs and higher protein. If you want/need the protein, WW does give you the choice.
Hey, you'll be fine!
I mentor a high school kid through a pro bono program, and it's great. I just take her to dinner a couple of times a month, and help her with her homework occasionally.
And to answer your question about crawfish, no, it's not available in Manhattan! We have to mail order it, and they FedEx the critters live from South Louisiana in a cooler with dry ice!!
That's so awesome what you're doing! Can't wait to hear all about it!
jp-- thanks! i am really glad to hear that other people enjoy it. i am a little anxious about it.
burg -- don't say that!!!! my overactive imagination is busy enough!!! i am just hoping for a kid without a record now. jeez louise.
alison-- um, i don't know about that. but thank you. i'm hoping that i will learn just as much from the little girl as she will learn from me. i want it to be a mutually beneficial thing. :)
PH-- why do you say it's obvious that i'm good with kids? people say that all the time to me, but i don't see it. i would say that i'm average with kids. and stirring up thoughts about CN babies would not be too far of a stretch -- I have been having a lot of CN dreams lately....
kimmykins -- thank you! i don't agree, though. i think i'm pretty self-absorbed. i'm not even a very good friend, really.
sassafras -- i will totally let you know how it goes!
cmk -- thanks for the encouragement. i hope it goes well. as far as WW goes, i have been on the flex plan on and off (obviously!) for about 4 years.
thb -- i can't believe they ship those little buggers live! that is nuts! wow. i guess this means that even if i move to NYC one day, i could still get real BBQ...good to know!
meish -- yeah, i am pretty excited! more excited than i thought i'd be, actually.
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