by Donald Hancock

Created on: February 21, 2010

 

A New Saying For Pogo

“I have met the enemy and he is me!” That is a favorite saying of Pogo, a cartoon philosopher of many years ago. And it was true for me not so long ago.

I am the Director of an Agency that furnishes volunteers to different medical facilities . So, I advertise, recruit, train, and then assign these volunteers. That is my job and I enjoy it thoroughly. But the quote about the enemy being me came about because of the way that I handled a particular volunteer interview recently.

In my job I come in contact with many people of all ages, races, and sex who have a wide variation in interests, experience, and background. I have found that none of these factors can, by themselves, either qualify or disqualify a person for being a volunteer. Aside from a child, who is simply too is simply too young or too immature to function, none of these individual differences can determine whether or not a person will prove to be an effective volunteer. There are so many types of volunteer jobs available that I can find a position for someone of almost any age or background. The one requirement is their desire to be of help. That is it!

But the time that I am speaking of, when I proved to be my own worst enemy, was the time when I temporarily forgot the mantra that I just quoted above, “I can find a position for someone of almost any age or background”. Yes, I forgot it and paid a very embarrassing price for forgetting it, at least for a little while.

It was on an occasion when a local hospice needed a volunteer to head up a new group of “Handy Men” that was needed desperately to meet the needs of families where the usual “Handy Man”of the family, often the father, was terminally ill. There were many families who had plumbing, carpentry, or other critical needs in their home and they simply could not afford to pay for the repairs.. So, this hospice was seeking to form a group of volunteer “Handy Men” and they needed someone who could head up this group and mold together a team.

I formulated a list of qualifications that such a person would need to possess and then I advertised in the local paper and on bulletin boards in the area. I was somewhat surprised and disappointed when, after several days, no one had come forward to speak for the position.

Finally, on Friday, just before lunch, a beautiful young lady came into the office and said that she would like to be a volunteer. She introduced herself

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