Countless times I’ve been told service work is a cornerstone to a solid life in recovery. Service commitments at meetings, working with sponsees, and volunteer work are all common examples of how we as recovering alcoholics and addicts attempt to get out of ourselves and move towards more selfless lives. Thus far in my own recovery, volunteering and helping others has assisted me through numerous tough times by allowing me to focus on something other than my own current dilemma.
Don’t get me wrong, the volunteer gigs don’t always come with the most exciting or enjoyable work assignments, but that makes these experiences perfect practice for life! I have found that a little bit of humor and imaginative fun while volunteering is extremely contagious amongst people I interact with at an event, and in the same way, I know that my own day is often made better just by seeing other people enthusiastically do their regular jobs. So making the best of any situation is something I now strive to do. Things are certainly less stressful that way!
This past weekend a group of Jaywalker Alumni volunteered at the National Sheepdog Trials as parking lot attendants. With a couple orange flags, some creative dance moves, and a whole lot of enthusiasm, the day of service flew by and was actually quite fun for us. Not to mention we were a total hit with the people being parked. Could we have stayed home and watched college football all day? Sure. Would we have laughed that much or helped out so many people if we hadn’t volunteered? Definitely not!
-Bryce C
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking” -Marcus Aureliu
Bryce Parking Attendant Performance
