End of the Year!!!

Twothousandandten is at the door, making its way out!!!

It has been a very interesting year from my point of view:

lots to do, lots to learn, lots to plan...and lots more!!!

My latest rewarding experience for the year was offering

some hours of work for the Crisis Christmas celebrations.

I am certainly not fond of the superficialities that Christmas is all about these days and I had actually been thinking about volunteering for the season a long time ago. Well, I turned up to make the final decision just a few days before the holidays actually started. I dropped by at the Crisis Head office and enquired about any possibility of doing whatever was needed washing up, cooking...but surprisingly I was told that the recruitment procedure had already closed a few weeks back.

I thought: wait a minute, I am sure that there will never be too many therapist offering a healing back rub or pampering some smelly or not feet... How could that go wrong? In fact it didn't take much to get in touch with a few of the people in charge of the activities and there, a little gap was made available for me to contribute in.

Work at the Rough Sleepers, the first centre I got allocated to, situated in the UEL premises in the Docklands, made available to Crisis especially for this occasion, has been a very "touching" experience. With a sleeping area that made me think of the sleeping arena of wounded soldiers in a remote land, actually a bit Sci-fy background with some of the Docks landscapes and the frozen and slippery roads all around it after the recent snowfalls. I have had the chance to meet very amazing people and heard some impressive stories that I feel very honoured for having those shared with.

The best present I got out of the experience was that while offering my time, my listening ears and my not judgemental self to such invaluable cause, I felt not just overwhelmed by a reality that too often goes forgotten if not ignored, but refreshed and revitalised by the idea that there are still so many good causes worth to invest time and energy in rather than worrying in building the most impressive Christmas tree of the neighbourhood or trying to cook the most terrific meal for the big DAY!

Oh, yes...I have still enjoyed my own cooked meals these days without running the risk of overeating nor putting half ounce on ;)

Wishing you the very best for the NEW YEAR!!!