A Note On Blogging

I'm a big fan of blogging. I keep a personal blog that I update somewhat frequently with pictures, thoughts, or snippets of my daily life so that I can look back years from now and remember-- kind of like a virtual scrapbook. It's a huge creative and introspective release for me because for some reason, actual handwritten journaling is something I can't seem to keep up with for more than a few months. I think hand-cramping has something to do with it.

For the most part, only my closest friends who also keep blogs ever read it. Since it's a public blog for the moment, I receive a comment from a stranger every now and then who likes a picture I've taken or is also a big Parks and Recreation fan and wants to share that with me. And that's totally fine with me because in my experience, those who tend toward personal blogs are creative types who are genuine, have similar interests to me, and are very kind. This is the reason you can often find me, when I get a moment, following links to all sorts of different blogs and learning about photography, vegan cooking, mindfulness, or a stranger's daily life.

So before I embarked on this little Americorps journey, I was already aware of what blogs can do. I was aware of their entertainment value, their ability to communicate ideas, and the ease with which you can jot down memories and upload photos. But I wasn't sure if my blog for the literacy council would really catch on-- after all, my personal blog has a readership of 20, max, and I've had it for years.

Then I got an email that I never would have expected; an 18 year old girl in Austria (that's right, EUROPE) wrote a lovely email to me that said how my blog inspired her to do volunteer work and asked if I was aware of foreign exchange volunteer opportunities in the U.S.

Wait, what? you say. I said the same thing. I was in disbelief that my writing from small town Shippensburg, PA could impact somebody across the Atlantic. I won't share all the details from her email because I respect her privacy, but I will quote one thing to show the power of blogging for social action:

"I'm 18 years from Austria and I've been really inspired following your adventures... you definitely encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and go out to see the world (also around me) more often. It's just very inspiring to keep coming back to your blog!"

Here's what this little note taught me: Not only is having this space to reflect on my own service learning moments valuable as a developing and growing person, but it is also a huge source of advocating for volunteer service in general. It's cathartic for me to sit down and genuinely reflect on my service, and I think blogging is the best way for me to do that. It is an unintended but very welcome consequence to have those words I write motivate somebody else to give their time.

So thank you, new friend from Austria, for allowing me to truly realize the power of blogging for something bigger than myself. Thank you for showing me that no effort is ever wasted in my weekly hour-long meditation on literacy and service. I owe you one.

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To that end, does anybody know of any volunteer organizations I can have contact her? She would like to volunteer somewhere that would offer accommodation-- perhaps a foreign exchange program. For her kind email and my subsequent epiphany, I would like to help her out as much as possible. Email me at fclcvista@gmail.com if you're familiar with any great opportunities. Thanks!