Friday, August 15, 2008

I don't think gratitude is boring

The theme of Girls Incorporated's annual fund raising lunch last week was "We Vote: 88 in '08." And during planning staff around the office were all bemused that women have only been guaranteed the right to vote for 88 years.

So here's an approximation of a conversation I had while checking in luncheon guests. An old friend from high school who is now a law student was checking in with the social service-type law firm she is working for during the summer.

Her (with sarcasm that I didn't pick up until she walked away): Good thing the theme is pro-women's voting, I mean...

Me (cutting her off): Yeah! Can you believe that it's only been 88 years? That's nuts!

Her: Actually, I can. In fact, it's hard to believe it's even been that long.

Me: Uhm. Well. Have a great time! The name tag station is to your right!



And then yesterday, Lizzy and I went to drop off some information for our fellow VISTAs at the Red Cross. They share a room with the volunteers who call overseas on behalf of soldiers' families when there is an emergency. So they sit there all day some days and listen to volunteers who can tell Indiana soldiers things like "your wife is in labor," or "your grandmother has 6 months to live," but not more than a handful of details beyond that. Or they navigate the red tape involved in getting a soldier leave to attend a funeral.

I mean, I thought that my work environment had entered Heavyville because the summer camp girls are gone and I don't get random hugs from the younger girls when I go down to get my lunch out of fridge anymore. But really, even without the girls here, I've got a good thing going. Essentially, I document progress towards "empowered girls" and "an equitable society." I have the luxury of taking for granted that the world is getting better. Not everyone in nonprofit has that. For all the effort I've been putting into being more positive, I haven't even thought about the aspects of my work that are positive by default.

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