Helping others, community is simply the right thing to do
I am not a morning person — never have been and I doubt I ever will be — even a triple latte barely sends me into "function" mode if it's much before 9 a.m. Working what amounts to a swing shift doesn't help — if anything, it exaggerates my "night person" mode.
It didn't help that mid-way through the morning after stepping onto what seemed like a perfectly solid stretch of ground, I could feel an oozy-gooey combination of water and sludge seeping into my shoes.
Even the protection of rubber gloves didn't alleviate the "ick" factor of picking up a slimy, smelly nasty sock that had somehow found its way into Sand Creek.
Does that mean I regret helping pick up garbage from the banks of Sand Creek on Saturday as part of the Downtown Sandpoint Business Association's effort to keep the creek looking clean? No, I'd do it again tomorrow — even if I knew it that instead of just my shoe getting a little we that I would end up covered in mud.
Some things you do just because they're the right thing to do — telling the truth, obeying the law and saying "please" and "thank you." Giving back to your community is one of those things, too.
Those who can, give. Those who can't, may be the ones who gave last year or will give tomorrow. I'm reasonably young and healthy and I've been blessed with many things and a wonderful family. Giving up a few hours of what turned out to be an absolutely beautiful Saturday is the least of what I can do.
If I don't give now, how can I expect to receive help some day if I need it?
As my nephew Tanner would say, volunteering is like giving cash or a gift card at Christmas time — there is no wrong size or color.
Love to read? Volunteer at a local school. Love food? Volunteer at a shelter, soup kitchen or food center. Love the outdoors? Help pick up garbage along the roadside. You get the idea.
It's the ultimate in flexibility — you get to pick based on your interests and schedule.
After all, it's your community. Why wouldn't you want to make it a better place to live?
Caroline Lobsinger is the managing editor of the Daily Bee.