I know this sounds cheesy, but I just can’t help it. Volunteering makes me feel a little more connected to my community. And it feels good.
As most of you know, we were particularly active with the GOTV efforts in 2008 during the last few days of the campaign. Sebastian took Monday and Tuesday of the election week off, and we spent Saturday through Tuesday walking precincts and calling voters.
Somehow we managed to pick the oddest walks through precincts. There was one house that had no driveway. It was run down, and I wasn’t even sure that someone was living there. There was someone registered to vote there, that was for sure. But this thing looked like it was ready to collapse in the next few years. Today, when I went to pick up m new glasses, I saw that house again. Only now it has new siding, a new railing that leads up the pathway to the door, and even a real driveway. It looks like a nice little home.
I don’t know if the same person lives there as when we came by in November 2008. But if they do, I really want to go congratulate them on their tremendous home improvement projects. And I like that feeling. Even though they aren’t in my neighborhood, I feel a kind of neighborly pride for them. Who knows, maybe I will get to compliment them for their good work if I pick their precinct again.
Bitter,
I would definitely try and compliment him/her/them. Sometimes it’s just that little push of ‘hey, someone noticed’ that sets ’em on fire. Next thing, they have a new screened in deck overlooking their inground pool set next to their brick bbq. :-)
Why wait? Just drop a note at their door saying that you saw the place back in November 2008 when you were volunteering for the election, and you’ve noticed what an amazing job they’ve done with the place.
I can’t picture anyone being upset by that, and subsequently thinking “How dare they notice my hard work and compliment me on it.”