After a teenager had AWOLed during my first hour, there was nothing much to do around the facility. No kids, no mess, no laundry, no errands. I resorted to reading the "Book of World Records 2006" that was left on the children's table but that didn't last long. For the next half hour I was falling asleep, playing Temple Run, texting random people of how bored I was, and listening to music when I suddenly got interrupted by a staff member.
"Why do you volunteer here?" she firmly asked.
My heart started beating faster. I immediately assumed that this lady viewed me as a lazy volunteer who just wanted to get hours to boost up the old resume.
"Uh, I want to pursue a career in human services or social work and I thought I could use the experience," I replied, sounding unsure of myself.
She suggested that I interact with the social workers within the facility to familiarize myself with what the job entails. I gave a silent and hesitant chuckle.
"So... what made you interested in doing social work?"
Heart attack #2. I don't know what it is about this lady that scared me so much. Maybe it was her extroverted, in-your-face personality that I didn't feel too comfortable with. Every second spent talking to her made me want to sink into my chair and slowly slither away.
Gulp.
"Well, I realized that I don't want to live comfortably serving myself. I don't want a job that just makes a lot of money. I believe that won't make me happy and it's not the way I measure success. I want a career that's rewarding and fulfilling, one that'll impact and change lives. There are so many people out there that aren't as blessed as I am and I feel the need to do something about that."
Then I saw something light up on her face. With a huge smile, she simply replied, "that's a wonderful reason."
She shared how she had gotten involved at the receiving home. What really touched me was the genuine love she had for her work. She loved the kids that she engaged with, especially the emotionally traumatized teenagers who were given the least amount of attention. She said it was an honor to help them and even got a bit teary-eyed while stumbling across her words. I couldn't help but feel something pierce my heart while she attempted to talk without choking. I knew, at that moment, that this was what I wanted.
