be more involved in my community

I’m reading books to 5 and 6 year olds one hour per week this summer for SPROG.

I agreed to be an advisor for our new community OASIS center—hard to refuse a nice letter from the mayor and the director of the library asking me to do it! OASIS provides volunteer opportunities and education for people over 50. I’ve been to one meeting and they seemed to like my suggestions. I’ve committed to attending two or three meetings a year and to throwing ideas their way whenever I have them.

In 2009, I will continue to attend dialogue and book club meetings of the Community for Understanding and Healing that was formed after the tragic shooting at Kirkwood City Hall. I will add another book club to that—a series sponsored by the public library called Let’s Talk About It, Love and Forgiveness in the Light of Death.

• wrote a letter to the editor

• accepted an invitation to be part of the planning for a Book Club by the local library. Our library got an ALALet’s Talk About It grant. We’ll be doing the Love and Forgiveness in the Light of Death topic in response to the City Hall shooting earlier this year.

• lunch program today
• meeting this afternoon
• lunch program tomorrow
• possibly another meeting tomorrow afternoon

Community for Understanding and Healing:
March behind the lawn chair brigade in the Meacham Park Neighborhood parade on Saturday morning

I’d say this is about as involved as I’m capable of!

I went to a party last night with a bunch of people I don’t know. But they’re food bloggers so we ate well and talked about blogging and I got some sourdough starter. Just the kinds of things I want from a community.

I will still look for chances to be involved in things that aren’t ongoing commitments, but looking at my life, it’s clear that I don’t have time for a regular thing. My son is young now; I think it’s more important to have him see me occasionally pitch in, but spend most of my free time with him. I feel guilty, but it’s fruitless to beat myself up because I can’t be all things to all people. Someday when I have an empty nest, I can get involved in a committee or the like. Meanwhile, I’ll consider myself fortunate to live in a town with lots of SAH moms who do lots of amazing things for the community, and support this in my sporadic way. :D

Although I’m not sure it was much help, since I spent all my time just on my kid. I’m supposed to be helping out with the cross country track. But my son seems to be needing one:one help for the warm ups as his sense of balance is pretty well not there. Not to mention his unfortunate little habit in an open space of twirling and ignoring his group. Literally spinning out of control :)

I have short meetings with his teachers at the end of each day, somehow I seem to have stumbled into being a helper/advisor on getting science info for the class projects. I like that as I actually feel that it’s helping.

I volunteered to help out with the cross country club at son’s school, it’s about the only thing that can fit into my schedule. I have no idea what this will entail and won’t know anyone there. I have a feeling I’m going to end up standing around looking like Mr. Bean and wondering who to ask what I should be doing.

I also volunteered to help with a field trip at daughters playschool. It’s actually scheduled for after I would be picking her up but I figure it’s about the only way I can help out.

Right now, getting more involved needs to be about my children’s community. Especially school. My husband drives my son to school, and I pick him up after work. I’ve noticed that all the other mothers already know each other from living in the same area, and I’m pretty much of an outsider. In fact I feel rather self concious about standing there waiting for son while all the other mommies stand in a circle with their backs to me. (Which, BTW I think is pretty rude).

I’m not sure how I’m going to do this, I have a pretty awkward schedule. I guess I’ll just keep my eyes and ears open for things I can volunteer for.

Being rather shy and nerdy, I think this is my most difficult goal. In fact, I’m feeling all anxious just adding it to my list.