A LOCAL VIEW: WANT A FAMILY THAT CLICKS? GET YOUR KICKS VOLUNTEERING
Tuesday, February 6, 2001
By Glenn Lamb, executive director of the Columbia Land TrustRecently I heard about a computer game in which you decide the future of a virtual family. You define the basics of the "Sims" household, and then the family starts its "life" together. You watch what happens. You intervene and change the circumstances. You increase each family member's "energy" and "comfort" to influence a person as he or she grows up.
I've heard that people spend hours with this game. But hang on a minute. I have a game that is even better. In my game, there is an unlimited choice of different families. The graphics are unbelievably real. The emotion, power, connection and good feeling are incredible.
I volunteer.
One of the families I volunteer with has no dad. I get together with Andy once a week for lunch and good times. We run at recess and play Frisbee and hang on the monkey bars. We talk about what makes him happy, what makes him sad.
The risks in this "game" are very great. My buddy's neighborhood friend has drugs and alcohol in his house. And now, his friend has tried the alcohol himself: a fourth-grader.
My buddy knows that he should stay away from the alcohol and drugs. At least he knows it for now. I can't help but think about him at night when I go to bed. Wondering if he has enough self-confidence to avoid temptation.
His teachers tell me that my buddy's school work has improved dramatically since I started playing with him. Also, his "comfort" has increased. I know because he told me so in the thank-you card he sent me.
Another character in my game is Bob. Bob is about 80 years old. He lives by himself. Bob walks by my house four times a day. He gets up early and walks. He reads the paper and walks more. He has lunch and goes for a walk. After his afternoon nap, Bob walks. Finally Bob has supper and goes to bed early every day.
And yet, Bob's "comfort" is great because he always stops and visits with people on his walk.
He gives me a hard time. He is always sure to tell me when I've missed a dandelion from my weeding or when my grass is too long and needs cutting. When he has seen my wife out working on the yard more than me, he lets me know. With a smile at the end, he tells me, "Don't work too hard, now."
Visiting with Bob isn't exactly volunteering. But I've found that there is a fine line between volunteering and just being engaged in your neighborhood. Paying attention to your community and acting where you see needs. That is what volunteering is all about.
Comfort off the chart
That is what worries me about the computer game. If we spend hours playing that game, who will talk to Bob? Who will play with Andy at recess? What happens to their "comfort?"
No computer game can replace my happiness when Andy's grades rise from Cs to As. Nothing makes me happier than when Andy tells me that he has three good things in his life. One of them is me.
My "comfort" is off the chart.
2001 is the Year of the Volunteer.
Before you buy that new computer game, think of one activity that you would enjoy doing in your community. Is it being a lunch buddy? Call me at 696-0131 and I'll connect you with Vancouver Rotary's Lunch Buddy program. Is it helping an older person get their daily exercise? Call the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department at 696-8171. Maybe you want something else? Call the Volunteer Center at 694-6577. You'll be amazed at the opportunities.
Let's not spend our time making a computer family "happy." Families all around us could use a helping hand. When you help a real living family, you'll feel a million times better. And you won't have that bleary-eyed feeling from sitting at the computer all day.
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Columbia Land Trust, a private, non-profit organization, was founded in 1990. We're dedicated to conserving signature landscapes and vital habitat together with the communities of the Columbia River region. Questions, comments, or concerns may be directed to info@columbialandtrust.org
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This page was last updated on November 13, 2001Site maintained by staff of Columbia Land Trust.
