by Tracey E. Bennett, Queen of Conversation
Volunteering at my local library makes me feel good! Wish I’d signed up years ago when I was depressed. Science says my mood uplift comes from a boost in serotonin. I call it a natural high.
I LOVE feeling useful. I’m a mostly cheery person, but sorting book and magazine donations boosts my spirits even higher. Rummaging through the donation bin is like having Christmas morning twice a week. What bestsellers will turn up this time? Will it be the latest Dan Brown thriller? (YESSS!)
Can I borrow it? Right now? Yes, because volunteers get two extra benefits: 1) we can borrow book donations before they go on sale, and 2) we get first dibs on buying books.
Here’s another reason I get a boost from being a volunteer:
I get paid — not in money but in gratitude, which is the currency of the heart. The library staff and other volunteers appreciate us. Every week my "boss," Clare, thanks me for helping. I don’t need her gratitude, but I like it. I can’t take it to the bank, but I take it to heart.
If you shop garage sales for books, you’d probably enjoy volunteering at your library, too. Or pick something else that appeals to you. If you’ve been downsized or furloughed, volunteer. A hundred worthy causes are waiting for you to step up to the plate. Call one of them now while you’re thinking about it.
She’s frumpy. She’s spinsterish. She’s 47 and never been kissed.