Volunteering and thoughts

Hey guys,

Well, me week in a nutshell. College, college, boyfriend, college, volunteering and worrying about my results tomorrow.

Most of that’s boring or private but I’ll talk a bit about the volunteering.

One Saturday I helped collect for Marie Curie Cancer Care by standing in my local town centre with daffodils. I expected more people to avoid my eye contact and walk quicker but most looked at me, smiled and either donated or went about their day.

It got me thinking about why. Is it because we are all a little more desensitised to charity now-a-days? We are used to people standing there with poppies and other flowers and we know by a certain age if we are the kind of person who gives or not. Or is it just that the nature of the person determines it.

I was quite disappointed to find that people of the ages of about 18-30 didn’t seem to give much at all. But children loved it, or at least the bright yellow flowers they got.

This wasn’t all prompted by my finishing of TFIOS this week (I’d planned it in advance) but after reading it, I felt much better then I imagined helping. I haven’t really been personally affected by cancer you see. I know friends who have, their familes, but not me. I guess Hazel-grace’s story, however fictional, gave me the personal connection to it without the pain I would assume it would create.

On Sunday I helped out with a local ‘music and arts’ festival. Its a competition for classical musicans, speakers and drama enthusiasts. I really only helped man the doors and show people where to go, but I enjoyed spending the time talking to the women there and I knew a few from my childhood when I did it. I’m doing it again this weekend which should be fun.

But yeah, I’ve met a lot of people recently and experienced a lot of highs and lows with TFIOS and when I was walking home today, I realised something.

The smile of a stranger can make your day. Or it can just remind you that you weren’t smiling.

Hope you are all ok :D

Alix