Volunteering time & talent
I'd like to say something about volunteering. It isn't for everyone. But, for those interested you may know little about the benefits.There are an abundance of rewards other than monitary ones. They include team spirit, a sense of acomplishment & self worth, a sense of belonging, delight in seeing hard work pay off, a smile, laughter, physical & social activity, creativity, making new friends, learning, compassion, and the list goes on. Sometimes volunteers only hear criticism. Compliments outweigh the negative comments. I can't say enough on how much I appreciate all of you & you continually amaze me.
Although I haven't done a lot in the last year in the salsa scene as a volunteer it is always a pleasure to serve when I can. I was busy with my professional skills with a delightful 5 year old who stole my heart & am recovering from losing him to cancer. I have been volunteering my talents & time since I was a teen.
For those of you who are shy & think you have nothing to offer, guess again. You may have a talent or skill no one else can offer or compliments another. YA Salsa may be the place for you. Or perhaps another venue.
In case you were wondering, volunteers run many organizations or support programs that wouldn't exist if someone didn't put forth the effort. You may want to check it out by googling "volunteers".
In my past management experience I was part of a group who honored volunteers annually. In keeping that tradition alive I am planning a home salsa party in August to honor the salsa volunteers. Stay tuned for a date & details.Until then my thanks go to all of you who make the Michigan Salsa scene the best game around.
I'd like to hear from others what benefits they get from volunteering their time or talent.
Sharon
Well Put!
One of the great things about the Detroit salsa is that its full of people who are trying to help build it as opposed to just buying it like a product on a shelf. That said as you say, there are lots of things to volunteer outside dancing and we should all have your spirit for helping others.
Geo-
Thank you
Thank you Sharon. I agree - volunteering has many benefits. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a tragic situation to motivate others to do their part. Tragic may be a matter of opinion, but it usually motivates us to do something to help. In my case, while not an Earth-shattering event in the grand scheme of humanity, there is one that hits close to home and to my heart and one that makes me feel ashamed I did not do more to help. With the closing of the Harem, though I only benefited since last August, I realized I was somewhat complacent and took it for granted - that it would always be there.
I have a pretty fickle taste for the kinds of places I will go to dance and I should have done more to protect it and support it. I know the circumstances under which the club closed, and I can't say that salseros had everything to do with it, but every place I've gone in the last year that was not the Harem, was not a place where I thoroughly enjoyed to be for a number of reasons. Anything I could have done to improve the livelihood of the club owner and the longevity of the night, I should have done, but I took it for granted.
It was a matter of volunteering my time - to tell others about it more and get other people to come with me or on their own - that I and many of us could have done better.
It was a matter of volunteering my money - paying for the $2 or $3 bottle of water willingly.
It was volunteering more of my time and mental energies to promoting Harem however I could.
It is quite difficult not to want to look around and do something to find a new place that could become what Harem was, and my hope is that all of us can take a few minutes to thank everyone who was part of SkyMambo and tell them what a great job they did and how much we appreciate them.
Volunteering - actively offering up your time and energy for the benefit of others - can sometimes just mean saying thank you, too.
So to the SkyMambo team, I say thank you for all you do, for all you have done. I hope you know how much I appreciate you.
Jess