Page 37 - voicesdec2014
P. 37
e To Give
By Eric Winger, ACS, ALB
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." -- William James
On the day after Christmas, almost four years ago, I sat at my dining
room table. Discouraged. The kids were fighting, there was wrapping
paper everywhere, the news blared tragedy, and the Christmas tree
was leaning against the wall as if all the Christmas spirit was gone. I
asked myself. Where does the Christmas spirit go? Why aren't we
more generous throughout the year?
Then a thought struck me. (Ouch! The best ideas always hurt.)
Why can't I make that "giving spirit"? Could I do something every
single day to make this big old world just a teensy bit better?
Yes!
But how? What could I do? I didn't have a lot of money. (A mortgage and three kids will do that.) I
didn't have time. I was too busy.
Or was I? Did I really have that little time or was that just an excuse?
It was about then that my wife walked into the kitchen to cook dinner. Serendipity had struck! I called
out impetuously, "Stand aside honey! I'll cook dinner tonight!" Needless to say my wife was taken
aback…and a bit alarmed. But, true to my word, I “did” cook dinner
that night.
Best. Frozen. Pizza. Ever.
Ok, so I'm a lousy cook. But that's not the point. When you give your
time, as I found out that night and every night since, giving your time
isn't about trying to do something perfectly. It's about going out of
your way to do something to help a spouse or a stranger.
In the years since that night, I've tried to give my time every day.
Sometimes it was uncomfortable—like serving dinner to pushy street
people or taking donuts to surly construction workers. Sometimes it
stunk—like picking up really gross beer bottles near my house.
Sometimes it was pleasant—like picking flowers for my wife. But
mostly it was amazing—like the thousands of extra hours I've spent with my kids.
My life has changed in so many ways since that night so many years ago.
Even if I'm still a lousy cook.
Eric Winger is the author of over 800 posts on the blog GiveOurTime.com, a site dedicated to giving our time. He joined Toastmasters
in 2009 , and is VP Membership at Silicon Forest and club president of Feedbackers. He is currently serving as the District 7
Toastmasters Speakers Bureau Chair. You can contact him at eric@thewingers.net, 503.516.6271
37
By Eric Winger, ACS, ALB
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." -- William James
On the day after Christmas, almost four years ago, I sat at my dining
room table. Discouraged. The kids were fighting, there was wrapping
paper everywhere, the news blared tragedy, and the Christmas tree
was leaning against the wall as if all the Christmas spirit was gone. I
asked myself. Where does the Christmas spirit go? Why aren't we
more generous throughout the year?
Then a thought struck me. (Ouch! The best ideas always hurt.)
Why can't I make that "giving spirit"? Could I do something every
single day to make this big old world just a teensy bit better?
Yes!
But how? What could I do? I didn't have a lot of money. (A mortgage and three kids will do that.) I
didn't have time. I was too busy.
Or was I? Did I really have that little time or was that just an excuse?
It was about then that my wife walked into the kitchen to cook dinner. Serendipity had struck! I called
out impetuously, "Stand aside honey! I'll cook dinner tonight!" Needless to say my wife was taken
aback…and a bit alarmed. But, true to my word, I “did” cook dinner
that night.
Best. Frozen. Pizza. Ever.
Ok, so I'm a lousy cook. But that's not the point. When you give your
time, as I found out that night and every night since, giving your time
isn't about trying to do something perfectly. It's about going out of
your way to do something to help a spouse or a stranger.
In the years since that night, I've tried to give my time every day.
Sometimes it was uncomfortable—like serving dinner to pushy street
people or taking donuts to surly construction workers. Sometimes it
stunk—like picking up really gross beer bottles near my house.
Sometimes it was pleasant—like picking flowers for my wife. But
mostly it was amazing—like the thousands of extra hours I've spent with my kids.
My life has changed in so many ways since that night so many years ago.
Even if I'm still a lousy cook.
Eric Winger is the author of over 800 posts on the blog GiveOurTime.com, a site dedicated to giving our time. He joined Toastmasters
in 2009 , and is VP Membership at Silicon Forest and club president of Feedbackers. He is currently serving as the District 7
Toastmasters Speakers Bureau Chair. You can contact him at eric@thewingers.net, 503.516.6271
37
