Day 285 – Last Gasp

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285/365 (Oct 12, 2011) – There are a few things in the garden having a last hurrah. I looked out to see this lily turf flowering a couple of days ago and when the last sun of the day was falling on the teensy little flowers it caught my eye. I needed something pretty this afternoon, because I’m at the end of my rope with respect to volunteering.

I recently gave up two websites that I maintained on a volunteer basis, it’s a start, but I’m still in over my head. With the new job and with the fact that I didn’t give up the teaching, and that I am stupid enough to have the roles of VHF training (which means I organize, teach, and manage a couple of courses a year), webmaster, environmental officer, and publications editor on our executive board. I also proctor (TA) once a week, teach a couple of nights for the Boating class, and teach a section for the Seamanship course. But it’s the newsletter that drives me around the bend. I have already cut out one issue for the year, and I still can’t get enough material from people. I am supposed to be the “editor” and I consistently end up faced with blank pages that I have to fill because I ask for reports and get three sentences that are somehow supposed to form an article. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few people who are great about supplying what they should, and the plea for more falls on deaf ears beyond them. it’s just frustrating when you are responsible for pulling together a four page spread 6-8 times a year and end up at the 11th hour every time trying to figure out what to write to fill all the blank space. It wasn’t supposed to be a newsletter filled with my articles and opinions, that’s the last thing I wanted and it’s not what I agreed to. Might be time to cut a few more things loose since this stuff is getting in the way of my real work.

Volunteering…fulfilling and oh so frustrating.

But at least the flowers are pretty….always look for something positive.