That Thing I Wanted to Volunteer for

So when I was a Teaching English major, for like a whole day and half (actually more like two semesters) I thought it would be "awesome" to do Teach for America. If you don't know, that's the organization where they take volunteers and stick them in the worst schools with the worst kids. Ever. Then I thought I might do the Peace Corps (more like corpse). I took one look at the hippie recruiter and was like no thanks; I thought hippies hated "the man"? When did they start working for him for nearly free? I even thought about giving myself that foreign mission I always wanted and teach communists English but I don't love Chinese food that much (they don't even have orange chicken there!). Anyway after I got sense knocked into me and got a real job, I still wish I could sorta make a difference kinda.

It is somewhat fitting that I work in assessment development for a university that serves an underserved demographic. Still I feel like I am letting those delightful downtown delinquents down somehow.

But then some geek on the radio was talking today about how he was a quote-unquote accidental prison librarian. I am not quite sure what the accident was. I see an accident as more of slip and fall down the stairs situation, not so much I chose of my own free will to work as a librarian in a prison, but whatever; I digest. Who am I to criticize his book title (I am Jonathan BTW)?

So then I think that sounds fun. And people call in and share their experiences in the prison system and whatnot. Now I begin to recall the scripture that always bothered me (mostly because I was too busy slash scared to do so), the one about visiting people in prison and how that makes me a goat for not doing.

So I looked it up and I totally want to help reformed rapists read (can't rape if you're too addicted to Harry Potter to put it down). If I can't reach them before turning to crime, I figure the next best thing is to reach them while incarcerated.

I can totally do that. But not right now, because I am busy. These blogs aren't gonna write themselves.

Or can they? As my next project I will work on creating a self-writing blog. Once that is up and running, volunteering to feed the homeless or whatever it was I wanted to do will be a snap!