Deblog 16: On Giving

Today\’s rant brought to you by this:I am just … annoyed. Or maybe I\’m tired. Or some combination thereof.What had happened was an epiphany: sometimes you give just because it\’s the right thing to do.Okay, so not one of my typical (almost) original epiphanies, but here\’s the thing. Folks spend too much time trying to figure out what\’s in it for them. To wit — I received at least 237 questions yesterday about a teaching opportunity (okay, full disclosure: it was more like six questions), each of which was to find out how much pay was involved. Of course there\’s pay, but the bigger hand-offs include meeting and training with colleagues (to get more skills that lead to more cash monies) as well as face-to-face work with students. Which are both things the members of this group said they wanted.I got more \’I cannots\’ related to the need for cash. Many of those who said this were people who work either full-time or work multiple part-time gigs.Don\’t get me wrong — my situation has been like this for the last few years:I get it! I really, really do! We all need cash monies to keep the lights on. However, there\’s a time when we need to give somma what we\’ve got to help others. It will be a sacrifice for me to participate in this teaching opportunity, but you bet your sweet bippy (yep, I loved \’Laugh In\’) that I\’ll be there. For me, it will involve dealing with my typical introverted nature because I\’ll be surrounded for hours on end by humans. That I\’ll have to talk to and have meals with. Shudder.But I\’m going to do it because I know it just might make a little bit of difference in the life of a student. I\’ll be able to connect with colleagues I only know from telephone calls and video conferences. It may lead to future cash money opportunities.Will I like it? Chances are slim.Can I use the cash? Absolutely!What rips me is when I hear folks who have so much say things like, \’Boy, they seem to be asking a lot (to teach XYZ) for that amount. I will need to decline the invitation.\’Seriously?I\’m hearing that from someone who is either working full-time elsewhere, has enough part-time gigs to make piles of cash monies, or has a spouse or signif who covers the other household expenses and medical coverage.This gig would just be added scratch for them.And it\’s still not enough.Conversely, it will be an added lifeline for me.And I am grateful.Maybe it\’s me — maybe I just live in an idyllic fantasy world where people do things to lift each other up sometimes rather than to lift themselves up.And I\’m okay with that.Rant over.