Service Days
I’ve been on a three day bender, drunk on camaraderie. It started on Halloween at a friend's house in a neighborhood well populated with kids, passing out Halloween candy. We passed seamlessly into the next day where we went shopping for bar stools, then ended the day with a house concert. We finished the weekend with a miniature version of Wurstfest, where we ate fried food, drank beer, and played games.
My role in all of this was to be one of the many helpers. Candy passing was easy. At the house concert I was the sound gofer. I laid cables and helped set up things. There was a threat of rain, so we bagged speakers to keep them dry and prepped to move inside. The rain held off and the show went off without a hitch. On Sunday, I set up tables and chairs, carried hot food, and tried to be useful again. Satisfying work all the way around.
It’s nice being part of something where you’re a useful hand, a tool to make the party go. It’s gratifying work, actually, at least for me. You’re part of a team, and I’ve always liked teams. I guess because of the sense of belonging it imparts.You have a role. You play it. Everything works. That feeling is why I think our country could use a dose of mandatory service where everyone did something for everyone else before starting their working life. It might help us understand the idea of being in something together, which is sorely missed these days as we stand on opposite sides of the room shouting at one another.