Funfluenza!

I swear that I have some kind of fever. As an AmeriCorps VISTA (that’s a Volunteer In Service To America), you’d think that perhaps I’d be getting my fill of volunteerism. I’m not even a regular volunteer—this is really my first serious shot at it. Suddenly, however, and without warning, I seem to have been bitten by that metaphorical bug which seems to nip people when they least expect it.

I attended a volunteer fair at City Hall in Philadelphia just a couple of weeks ago. It seems that as soon as I set foot there, under the welcoming watch of local heroes William Penn and the Philly Phanatic, I utterly lost myself.  I ended up almost breathlessly racing around the tables, meeting new people, and signing up for countless email lists. When the dust settled, I realized that I might have made a few too many commitments.

A couple weeks passed, and I settled, more or less, back into my normal routine—we’ll call this a ‘dormancy period’ for my volunteer bug. When this past weekend rolled around, carrying with it a commitment to volunteer with “Street Games,” a local event from the Jon Drummond Foundation aimed at getting kids outside and active, I wasn’t feeling so motivated.

Happily, I believe in keeping commitments and it turns out that the volunteer bug does as well. I biked to “Street Games,” and wandered off for a day of four-square, foot races, and impromptu safety-cone bowling. I ended my shift exhausted but animated. It turns out that I needed “Street Games.” I needed to get out in the fresh air and cut loose for a day of unbridled fun with a bunch of kids, and I needed to meet all those welcoming and wonderful volunteers.

An interesting thing about this infection is that it doesn’t seem to leave; it picks up in intensity and spreads to those around you. I dragged along two fellow VISTAs to “Street Games,” and am already looking into ways to volunteer as a tutor. It’s those qualities (ironically the least favorable in other bugs), which make this a fever worth catching. It can help you meet lots of new friends, get out in your community, and even just have fun doing something you might not otherwise do. If you’re not a regular volunteer, I encourage you to talk to me at kmcconnaughay@comingofage.org—I’m highly contagious right now.