Day 51 - Why is volunteer work important?

Every Monday I volunteer in the school library with my friend, Tim. At first, I didn't like doing it because it was just boring. Who wants to be stuck in the school library after school anyway? The only reason that I started volunteering there was because we all had to do some volunteer work. It was mandatory. So I signed up to volunteer in the school library. I thought that I could just sit there and do nothing at all. However, my friend Tim had a different attitude. It seemed like he really enjoyed being there.
On my first day, I brought my game player to the school library. Since I was not getting paid for my work, I thought that I shouldn’t waste my time and enjoy myself by doing something fun. However, Tim was not like me, and he was so enthusiastic. He put the books back where they belonged. He helped students find the books that they were looking for. He was just not like me. I really didn't understand him. I thought that if we volunteered together, we could play and have some fun.
On that day, I told my parents about what happened in the school library. They listened to me very carefully. They did not scold me for my behavior. However, they told me what I did was not right, and that volunteering is just as important as having a real job. They also told me that even if it is a small thing to do, I must do my best to build my character. Otherwise, in the future when I have a chance to do something big, I won't be ready to do it. That night I could not sleep at all but kept thinking about what my parents had said. The next Monday, I went to the school library without my game player. I arrived there five minutes earlier than before. I looked around to check if there were any books that needed to be put in the right place. Whenever someone asked me for help, I smiled and helped them. Tim was quite surprised to see me doing that. Well, the funny thing was that I actually felt great and started to enjoy helping out. It seemed like people really appreciated what I did.
In conclusion, I learned that helping is an awesome thing to do. Volunteering does not give you a paycheck; however, it gives you something more important which we call experience. Having lots of experiences in many areas will definitely benefit you and help you decide what you want to do in the future. Let's not miss an opportunity to have a hands-on experience. Doing is better than just talking!

Expressions


1. "waste my time" : to spend time on something that isn’t important


2. "the funny thing was" : to say an unexpected coincidence happened


3. "hands-on experience" : to experience something in person