Yesterday, after a great day with Anne and Daniel, Saturday, and an amazing comedy show, that night, we followed brunch with a trip to a local trade show.  That normally wouldn’t be the stuff that a great writing session is made of, however, as we were wandering the various booths, a couple interesting things came to be.

One of the very first setups we came to was a community booth.  It listed some great events upcoming in the small town I live in, all centered around the fact that our town was settled by French Canadians.  Now, my birthday happens to be two days after St Jean Baptiste Day, and falls on a Saturday this year.  The thing that attracted me is that there is a huge celebration going on that weekend, with lots of amazing things to do.  Long story short, as I am not working right now, and they had a volunteer signup sheet, I decided to take the plunge, and get involved!  I did a lot of volunteering back when my kids were young, mostly in the schools, and it did feel great being a part of their education.  Heck, I volunteered in Jeremy’s kindergarten class so frequently, that Joan Powell, both my kids first introduction into education,  and a fabulous person, gave me a graduation certificate that year.  I often tell people I graduated kindergarten twice, but realistically, they didn’t do that way back when, so I graduated at 26.  Doesn’t that make a little bit of sense to those of you who know me?

As a mother who always wanted to be as involved in my kids’ lives as possible, I did everything I could do, to make sure I was.  I was a Beaver leader for 6 years, while my kids were involved, and even after they gave it up, because I loved the kids, and the other leaders.  I was the PTA vice president, then the president.  I was the volunteer coordinator.  I ran the hot lunch program, and cooked far too many hot dogs, and delivered far too much pizza.  I volunteered in the office, and ran book fairs.  I was the favourite library lady for a lot of kids because I didn’t just READ a story, I WAS a story, and I TOLD a story.  I very seriously, played hard, and worked hard, and loved every minute of volunteering my time.

To make a long story shorter, I started actually working outside the home, doing two jobs, and fast forward to today, and I haven’t had the time or the opportunity to feel that in a ton of years, so I felt pretty great about signing that list.  I maybe even felt a little proud of myself.  As we browsed the various business and sales booths, picking up info and freebies from vendors trying to introduce us to their products, and home based direct sales people, who wanted me to get back into sales myself, we happened upon something else that drew me in instantly.  A booth set up by victim services.

Now, I have no idea what made me pause just there, if it was a bright colour, or a specific poster, but I stopped dead.  There were two of the board members there, and we started up a conversation, that may have been a huge turning point in my life, to date.  I have always considered myself to be an extremely empathetic and sympathetic person, and often wondered how I could use that to help others.  I think I just found it.  They are desperately in need of advocates, to go out into the community when there are crises that families, or individuals need help dealing with.  I was intrigued and immediately interested.

I have had so many things happen to me in my life, that many other people have had to, and are dealing with right now.  I have always kept all these things to myself , and learned to work through them, alone.  I have lived through, teen pregnancy, abuse, violence, and rape, and I believe, I have done a decent job of being a pretty well adjusted, confident woman, and I would love to be able to take some of that, and be the catalyst to get someone else on to a positive track in their own lives.  I have been told on many many occasions, that I am easy to talk to, and give great advice.  People find me very easy to open up to.  They, very often confide in me, things they have never confided in anyone else, ever.  I think that that can be a huge asset in dealing with people in the middle of the worst days of their lives.  I think I have a strength of character, and such a love for people, that this is something I could seriously excel at!

I have insights into some of these situations, that the average person, reading or training about them from books, could never possibly understand.  I do realize that a lot of people who have been victims, turn around to become just what I am striving to be, an advocate.  What a great way to turn all of the negatives I have experienced into the ultimate positive.  I love helping people, and what a better way to do that, then to take everything I have learned about myself and my strength, and pay it forward.  It will truly make every wrong that I endured, come full circle, and be more than worth it, on so many levels.  Can you tell I am excited?

I don’t know exactly yet when things will start rolling, as I am to hear from someone this week, but I know that this is something I am so well suited for, that it is going to be the most rewarding of experience.  I also know it is going to be a lot of work, crazy hours, and that the potential for heartache could be great, but I am so pumped to begin this phase of my existence, as a human being who cares deeply.  I would love any feedback anyone who knows me, will have in reading this.  I feel a real fire burning inside me to do this, and do it to the best of my abilities.  I have had so many positive comments about how, just reading my words here, have helped people, touched them, and made them think, that I truly believe, I can make a difference, far bigger than just words.  The pay out is going to be huge for me, I am certain of that, if nothing else.  Get ready to watch me go!