Rambling Thoughts . . .

By Roy Miles,

Editor- Lethbridge Senior Times

 

 

Let’s talk about Volunteers. . . .

            There must be something good about volunteering.  Otherwise no one would be doing it!

            There is special feeling about doing a job you don’t get paid for, and the end result is that you have helped someone else without expecting a special reward.  Whether it’s raising money for a cause, or doing some form of labour to assist a group or passing on your knowledge to those willing to learn something new, it all results in the same good feeling.

            So why is it so hard to get volunteers? I have belonged to a number of organizations over the years, and every one of them, without fail,  had the same ongoing problem, how do we get volunteers?   Even in the workplace, when there is a special or unusual job to be done, the boss would ask for a volunteer to take it on, but there is dead silence from the crowd.

            But just as people come in different shapes and sizes, there are those who love to help out and will volunteer at any time, and there are those who just like to belong to an organization or group and have no intention of giving of their time and  talents.  In a large organization such as the LSCO there are many of both kinds of members. And, we need all of them.  When you join the LSCO there is nothing in the rules that says you have to volunteer. But this organization runs on volunteerism - without the dedicated volunteers the place would be too expensive to belong to!

            We have to recognize that not all people are cut out or wish to be a volunteer.  But many members have never given it much thought and if they decided to try a volunteer position, they might find they like it very much.  Why not see Marcie Stork, the LSCO Volunteer Coordinator and let her explain the many interesting jobs you could try as a volunteer.  Marcie has an office just inside the entrance and also can be reached by phone on ext. 31.        

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The dot over the letter “i” is called a tittle

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            Some material I wanted to use in this column is not available in time so I must fill in the rest of my space with a senior joke or two.

            Nobody believes old people - everybody thinks they are senile. . . . .

            An elderly couple who were childhood sweethearts had married and settled down in their old neighbourhood and were celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary.  They walk down the street to their old school. There they hold hands as they find the old desk they’d shared and where he had carved “I love you Sally”

            On their way back home, a bag of money falls out of an armoured car, practically at their feet. She quickly picks it up, but they don’t know what to do with it, so they take it home. There, she counts the money and its fifty thousand dollars.  The husband says, “We’ve got to give it back” She says, “Finders, Keepers” and she puts the money back in the bag and hides it up in the attic.

            The next day, two RCMP men are going door to door in the neighbourhood looking for the money and show up at their home.   One of the Mounties says “Pardon me, but did either of you find any money that fell out of an armoured car yesterday?”   She says “no”.  The husband says “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic” She says

“Don’t believe him, he’s getting senile” But the Mounties sit the man down and begin to question him.  One says “Tell us the story from the beginning” The old man says “Well, Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday......”

The Mountie looks at his partner and says “We’re outta here...................!”

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A rat can last longer without water than a Camel

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            The couple was 85 years old and had been married for 60 years.  They were both in good health, largely due to the wife’s insistence on healthy foods and exercise for the last decade.

            Sadly, one day, while on vacation their plane crashed sending them off to Heaven. They reached the Pearly Gates and St. Peter escorted them inside.  They found a beautiful mansion, furnished in gold and fine silks, with a fully stocked kitchen and a waterfall in the master bath.  They gasped when he said “Welcome to Heaven.  This will be your home now.” The old man asked how much this was going to cost. “Why, nothing” Peter replied.  The old man looked out the window and saw a championship golf course. “What are the green fees?” he asked

“In Heaven you can play free every day” said St. Peter. In the clubhouse there was a lavish lunch, from seafood to steaks to exotic deserts and free flowing beverages.  “ It is all free for you to enjoy “Where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods and the decaffeinated tea?” The old man asked.  “You can eat and drink as much as you like and you will never get fat or sick - this is Heaven” replied St. Peter. “No testing my sugar or blood pressure or .....”  “Never again, all you do here is enjoy yourself”

            The old man glared at his wife and said

“You and your bran muffins, we could have been here 10 years ago!”

                                                    - Till next time.