Nothing Mickey Mouse about it

Do you volunteer? It's an interesting question but not one that is often asked. I volunteer and have for years. I volunteer as a coach in Lacrosse (but also did a year of house league basketball) and it's been both challenging and fun. Other people volunteer at women's shelters or food banks which is also a great thing to do.

Too often we spend our lives shuffling from home to work and back home focused on ourselves. It's sad to see the number of vacant stares I pass on the street in downtown Toronto. Young and old alike who have nothing better to do than to silently float along in the world.

I don't think that is what life should be about. How we interact with the world can have a huge impact on our lives. You can be sullen and withdrawn but you'd miss so much that people have to offer. This is one reason why I volunteer now, to have that interaction with other people. It makes my "unpaid work" (isn't that what volunteering is, doing work for no financial reward?) often more rewarding than most paid work.

In my time coaching Lacrosse I have met some many weird and wonderful people. The kids I have coached often end up more like my own children than children of strangers. I can say that I still talk to them even after I moved to another team. It's that "reward" that has made all those hours getting stressed because some 13 year old kid wasn't listening (they don't listen much better at 19 to be honest) worthwhile.

So the real question shouldn't be "Do you volunteer?" but rather, "Why do you volunteer?". I think everyone should give up some of their time in support of a group/cause/charity that they believe in. Coaching lacrosse is no better or worse than feeding the homeless or picking up garbage on Earth Day. It all counts and if you believe in it then I support it.

Walt Disney Volunteer Offer:
Walt Disney World/Disneyland are offering 1 Free day pass to 1 million people who are volunteers. The good news is that this applies to Canadians as well as Americans. Check out this article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33070308/ns/travel-family/ for more details. I think it's a great idea and would love to see this spread to other places. Could you imagine "Free Leafs tickets" for volunteers? On second thought maybe some rewards are more punishment :)