Ever thought of volunteering, or wanted to help make a change for the better in the world, but thought you didn't have the time or the money?
Think again. You can make a difference with no money and very little effort if you pick your project carefully.
Me, I've been trying to find people to visit me for ages, with very little luck. C'mon, how much trouble can visiting somebody be? I live in the centre of a city of 2 million people!
Why would I want visitors? I'm bedridden. I have severe, progressive Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Check out my writing about a typical day in my life to see how little I'm able to do. And trust me, going weeks on end literally only seeing the faces of people who are paid to take physical care of you is bad for the spirit :(. Sure, they're nice people, but they aren't my friends. They're friendly, but not my friends, and we both know very well that if they weren't paid they wouldn't be here. It's pretty depressing to know that people have to be paid to want to be with you, unsurprisingly.
I have applied to the "visitors for the aged and disabled" program common in my city and was turned down because of the number of hours of physical support I got! This equates to being turned down because I am too disabled, basically. The physical carers are NOT there for emotional support, nor do they have the time (or inclination) to give it. I have tried putting adverts in the paper's "meeting friends" section but so far no visits.
I do get the occasional visitor, maybe once every few weeks, plus I get medical ppl coming out of my ears at times. But people ... just to see people's faces, be touched or hugged by somebody who isn't doing something medical, or washing/cleaning/moving me, those little things.s Knowing somebody is with me because they WANT to be with me.
Don't underestimate the power of your presence, OK?
