I don’t often do gardening, but when I did, Mrs. New York 2019 showed up as well.
It’s not the highlight of the event, but that does make me chuckle a bit.
But that’s not how the story started. That’s what I found out (and I find it quite wonderful) at the very end of my experience.
The scholarship that I was awarded to do the internship has a requirement – give some attention and time to one volunteer community service at the location we are at. No other prescriptions. The area we can to apply it is absolutely up to us and our creative fluids that race along our veins.
Since I am in New York City, volunteering opportunities, as everything else, abound. All you need to do is really want to help, and a bit of googling.
So, my volunteering choice fell on the City Tutors where I am a literacy tutor. I chose it because I looked for something connected to education, and because, on a larger point, I love teaching. And if I can teach people reading and writing that I myself find to be miracles of this life, that’s even better. I won’t go into detail on this one.. Maybe next time.
But…
In addition to the City Tutors, I wanted to do something that would take me outdoors and will cover me in paint, dirt, dust, whatever. Carpenting would do as well.
And theeeeen…
I found Hunter’s Point Parks Conservancy on Volunteermatch.com. At the weekend, in the scorching July heat, we planted ourselves at a park on Long Island to pull the weeds out of the ground, made mountains out of them, soon to be collected and composted. And tried to stay hydrated.
While doing that, you somehow end up talking to people around you, who try to help the city every week or so. They come from all kinds of walks of life, students, tourists, bank workers, housewives, a journalist, who brought his kids with him, just to give some love to the city and have some bonding time with them. You learn that people do care. They want to give that piece of the NYC puzzle a little gentle stroke of care, to show that a person can make an impact, even if is just going to take a few hours a week and several drops of sweat.
And we did make an impact. The patch we took care of did look better!
At the end of the session, we started taking photos in our beautiful uniforms (they always remind me of a highlighter), and then one volunteer pulled out a sash that ran “MRS. NEW YORK 2019.”
And that’s so so wonderful! That’s what I loved seeing! She really is Mrs. New York, loving the city she lives is and not just from the distance or verbally, but actually puts on those gloves and shows what it’s like to really care!
So, if you’re ready for a helpful adventure, you know what to do! 😉
Scribbling Zebras Jump High 