You don't have to know about Plato or Aristotle to serve

But serving is perhaps one of the most difficult things that people can take on. There are projects to get done at work, grocery shopping to do, kids events to keep up with, house chores to complete. I mean house gods forbid that the rug isn't vacuumed every week or the floor isn't scrubbed. Or there isn't time to sit in front of the TV and just empty your brain. (My most guilty habit.)
For a few weeks I tried to go to the Salvation Army center on Thursday afternoons so I could help kids with their homework. I was easily disappointed. The center was never really busy, I saw at least one act of cruelty where one kid steadily threatened another kid for at least an hour, the man who ran the center was on his last emotional resources and he did things I didn't agree with but as a volunteer I didn't know how to change. (And a volunteer who had only come to the afternoon study rooms about twice.) I felt like I was more in the way than helping. The kids liked having a new face around, asked if I was going to stay for the kid's table, which is a Salvation Army program that feeds kids who may not get a hot/nutritous meal at home. But without training I couldn't stay for the kid's table, and the center already had as many volunteers as it could handle.
There's only one other time in my life when I have felt so powerless.
But I don't know if there is any other way to change the "way things are" without trying to get into politics. And that's an arena I really don't think I want to venture in to.
And there is always time to think about. Pushing yourself that extra bit even when you don't want to. Sure the work day has been long, sure after staring at a computer screen all day and that hour and a half commute a little "me" time seems like the best alternative. Who wouldn't rather go to a yoga class or out to dinner instead?
There are no great messages I can give about serving. (And seeing as I don't think anyone is reading this, even this message is less than effective.) But the most difficult thing for me is convincing myself that steady volunteerism is worthwhile. That the more I do something the less I will feel that situations of injustice are beyond my control.
Big words, big thoughts. Now all I need is action.