As Icabod Crane reminds me:

It is seeing images as this to remind me to get myself BACK ON TASK,  and to do a lot less talking, AND A LITTLE MORE ACTION.

WHAT IF I THINK I’M STUCK?

Haven’t I been saying that a lot lately?

I have a good friend, who is a life coach, and is about to have a book that she wrote published.  She’s trying to help people (LIKE ME) find their purpose, and I need to find mine, after something life altering happened to me [ie…a car accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury].  Although it’s not like I need to RE-PURPOSE, because I was so young and still in high school, I didn’t ever figure out what I was doing.  The nursing home was a good place to start for me, although I was not aware that it would be so physically challenging.  Maybe I’ll revisit that option after I try something different.

Well it sounds just exactly she’s talking about me!  When she asked me if I could do anything I desired, without fear, what would it be?  It took me a while, but I remembered what else I’m passionate about: dog rescue.  Money automatically gets taken out of my bank account monthly to be donated to the ASPCA.

She suggested I think about volunteering at an animal shelter.  I contacted a woman whose mother was a resident at my nursing home a few years ago, who I knew was a prominent figure in the dog rescue and always ends up fostering dogs.  She told me that an orgainization to go to to help is the Fairfax County Animal Shelter.  (Which I was already thinking about since my good friend goes there and volunteers with the bunnies)

Last night I looked on the website, which said they are currently not looking for any volunteers, but referred to a facebook page where they will post the positions that are available to volunteer.  The only  thing that makes me nervous is that this is not based on what I continued my education, my major at Longwood University was Therapeutic Recreation.  But there are different types of animal therapy, that are very beneficial for all sorts of populations.  Children and people of all ages benefit from animal therapy. 

My friend also has suggested that I try volunteering at Fairfax hospital, where I was in the Intensive Care Unit after my car accident 20 years ago. You can volunteer to talk to patients in a trauma unit, and there is also a group of people who speak with different groups of people wanting to learn about the traumatic events that happened, and the injury resulting in order to better work with patients like us.  That seems gratifying to me. 

I need to get involved with something I am passionate about.  I already have a part time job, writing for Longwood University, and I am working on spreading traumatic brain injury awareness through my personal blog, and working on a memoir- or a “memoir” in quotations; there is always seems to be something that becomes a more urgent matter in the nearsight view.  It’s like memoir, ya, someday… Until then I’m keeping myself busy with church obligations, babysitting for my neighbors and caregiving.  Plus I like to stay  in shape by walking Chazz.

 Chazz the dog.  My own sort of pet therapy, who is a true member of my family.

#3 Surround Yourself with people you love and respect.