By the Dashboard Lights

by Dave Friedli

A Parable in an Obituary

03/21/02

Volunteerism passed away this week.

Thousands, upon hearing of her demise, mourned the loss of this

faceless, nameless individual who did so much for so little.

She was ageless.

Although no records were kept, Volunteerism was born out of need

many, many years ago.

The daughter of Service and Dedication, Volunteerism quickly became

known as the 'go-to' person in the community.

She often did deeds no one else would undertake.

More than once, her kind actions were known to have saved the day

for a large group of people.

Never did she ask for thanks. Seldom did she receive recognition.

Her family found the few awards she received in a box in a basement

closet of her modest home on the edge of town.

Those who knew her best were some of those who spent countless hours

working beside her at community, school and church events.

They marveled at Volunteerism's seemingly limitless amount of

energy and time. Her creativity and resourcefulness astounded nearly

everyone who knew of her work.

"I'm not certain how we ever would have carried off the

community-wide celebration last summer without ol' Vol's direction

and organization," said Desperate, who served on numerous committees

with the deceased. "She seemed to be everywhere at once, and yet was

so stealthy in her actions, when it was over, nobody ever knew she

had done so much."

Volunteerism spent her lifetime in many communities, but was best

known in the numerous small towns where she made her residence.

There, it seemed, in spite of a lack of resources or assistance, her

talents spread goodwill and promoted citizenship in both big and

small events.

Shut-in, a neighbor of Volunteerism, recalled the day when a

community group appeared at his home with ladders, brushes, rollers

and cans of paint, and in less than a day transformed the peeling

exterior of the house with weather-resistant latex. "I know she was

behind it, but she never took the credit," said Shut-in.

Others knew first-hand of her kindness and generosity.

Residents of the nursing home fondly recalled her bi-weekly visits

and the special times she would lead impromptu sing-a-longs,

accompanied by her signature ukulele. As her fingers danced across

the instrument's frets, those in the room tapped their feet, clapped

their hands and laughed as they sang songs from their youth. Center

workers reported Loneliness often slipped out the back door when

Volunteerism entered the building.

Members of The Church of One Faith--of which Volunteerism was a

life-long member--knew her as a Sunday School teacher, youth group

leader, choir director, Women's Auxiliary leader and the only pianist

the congregation ever knew.

In her younger years, Volunteerism served on the city council, local

school board, and was a member of the unpaid fire department and

rescue squad. When age and health prohibited her participation on

calls, she was often at the fire barn after the calls with cold

lemonade in the summertime, and hot chocolate in the winter. Her

secret ham salad recipe was a community favorite.

Volunteerism was not without her detractors. Self-Centeredness and

Apathy downplayed her impact. "Hell, anybody could do what she does,

and when she's gone, somebody else will," said Apathy. "What she did

for me or this town was no big deal."

Volunteerism was married to Self-Sacrifice, who preceded her in

death. She leaves two offspring: Hope and Determination.