Volunteer, Meaning 1-12-08

Volunteer, Meaning 1-12-08
Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
I volunteered with a young man yesterday. Not so young as compared to some things, he is about 34. I helped this person with his snow plow route because he is going through hard times. He has a 1 year old son and his wife is now baking the next one due in a few months. I have known this person about five years now. He all ways is working hard, trying to make a living. I would say he makes an average NH living, pay wise. He is going through hard times right now because he loaned his two year old back up truck to another person to plow with. He got it back with a blown transmission. The next day his new truck which the warranty just ran out blew it’s transmission. He in return had to shuffle around and find another truck to plow his route with and because it was such a big storm he needed his part time employee to do part of his route in the back up truck. Many of his client’s owe him money (lots of it) but he continues to plow them because they are going through hard times. I volunteered to help this person because with all the expenses now coming down on him he was depressed trying to figure out (as he put it) “Why continue”. He just did not have the money to hire any one. Things were so bad in his life “tell me why” he said.
Enough of the back ground. The interesting part of this opinion letter is the question this young man asked me. He said “I do not volunteer as much or even close to what you do Peter, but I help people all the time, why does everything bad happen to me?” Shouldn’t volunteers get something”.
I looked at my friend and said right up front “I tell people they owe me nothing“. I volunteer to help other people not for rewards or any special treatment but because it is a way to make life better for everyone. Just then my friend noticed the pain ravaging across my face and said “let me take you home”. I refused and said that “I can sit at home in pain or have the same pain here and help” Volunteering does not have to be easy or have no pain. Volunteering can some times place all the hardships that my friend is having right down on you and your own family. I refuse to take gifts or money for volunteering, but I told my friend that “I do except a thank you if given”. Volunteering is a person’s willing ness to help and get nothing in return. My friends boat is different because he has to support his family, but he still helps others first.
People will tell you “well volunteering makes you feel better in side”. That is not true. I am a 100% disabled veteran and my pain feels just as bad if I volunteer or not. What volunteering does is give back to a country that was built on others backs to make life better for those in the future. My payment is keeping what so many (over the history of the United States) gave to make this nation possible for future generations. Many have fought and given their lives for the nation that we call the United States of America. We the citizen of such a great nation can not let what these U.S. Military have sacrificed to be in VAIN.
Young or old you can Volunteer for any reason. Volunteering will not make your life any better or have any rewards for you other than what you dream. Volunteering makes the United States of American a better place that so many hero’s have given just so you can be free. I told my friend continue to Volunteer no matter how bad the pain gets because others have it worse than you..
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi