Friday, July 18, 2008

• Help Wanted - Or Garden Healing

  Currently Listening Come Together: Guitar Tribute to the Beatles, Vol. 2 By Various Artists see related

    Has anyone ever talked you into volunteering for something?  If you haven't, let me stop right here and say:  "Go for it!"  Don't wait to get talked into it.  Just throw yourself to the wolves of working with other people.  Complete strangers at times. 

    Volunteering to help make something  happen is a life experience.  How much you can let go, and just do what is necessary to help is a lesson with magnificent outcomes.  You really have to be prepared to work at your best level no matter what happens in the cycle of your event.   You can look upon your involvement and see who you are as a person.  As you journey through the tasks are you offering your people skills a chance to bloom? Do you need to be in control?  All the time?  Are you flexible with people and their skills?  Are you willing to train on the spot and focus for a cause?  When you start answering the questions, you see a dimension of yourself that might not have ever been so apparent.  I started volunteering years ago and got the best feeling inside myself that I didn't want to stop. My people skills started clicking in!   I started with the Central Coast Wine Classic as a volunteer loading buses for the Hearst Castle Dinner four years ago. 

    "The phone's for you Lyne"

    "Hello?"

    "Hey, it's me.  What are you doing next Thursday?"

    "What do you want me to do?

    "Talk to people and put them on buses after checking them off a list.  It's for the Hearst Castle Dinner and I'll need someone on Friday for the winery dinners."

    "You mean I get to tell people to: "Get on the Bus?  Give me the times and I'll be there."

    I put people on buses for two years and then I got another call about coordinating the site for the Hearst Castle dinner.  I came with experience as my husband and I had a catering company years ago where he was the back of the house (Chef) and I was the front of the house (planning, decorations and some times; crazy people)  

    Now Sister L is the woman that I didn't know existed until last year in the planning process of the castle dinner.  I was doing the walk through for the event up at the castle, when the coordinating chef; James Sly of Sly's in Carpinteria, mentioned that I should get in touch with L.  She was my guide and sanity through the first year.  She was gentle with her information giving as my responsibilities got larger with her input to my job description.  She helped me get organized for what was to come and baby it came! 

   L and I worked together along with many other side projects to get the bistro set up along with our volunteers.  We can be sarcastic and silly and make faces at each other as we work our buns off.  We can also have excellent on the spot ideas for handling a situation.  We have a wonderful communication during the dinner that at times is totally silent.  This is an asset to the day.  She's a sister of mind and spirit.  Everybody needs an L. 

    This year, I hitched a ride and sister L was driving.  Save gas, conserve energy, and have conversation.  It was a good plan.  I was going to spend the night at the Cambria Pines Lodge the night before the event and the night of the dinner.  It's just crazy to try to drive home after 15 hours of constant work as I had learned the previous year.  The leg cramps were the telling sign.  Sister L had told me that her brother and sister-in-law were working the event too.  Now when we got to the lodge, L informed me that they didn't get to visit very often and they were all having dinner together to get caught up.  I hadn't thought about how I was going to spend the evening.  I hadn't expected to spend it by myself.     

    At first I went to my room and unpacked.  What the heck was I going to do with myself?  I'm not a big TV fan.   It was about 6:30pm so I decided to wander around the gardens.  I had no idea that this is what I'd find.  Can you say: "Mini Mind Vacation?"

    To the right of the bed is a lamp and a dresser with ivy and flowers.  This was the first thing I saw.  I knew I'd come to the right place.

                     

    Through this door were hummingbirds, bumble bees and flowers.  A water fall with experienced hands willing to share the secret to giving and receiving: Just show up, be willing and it happens.

                                          

                         

               

            

    I went through gates and doors in the garden and found many opportunities to "chill out".  It helped me set the tone for what was coming and my willingness to be in the now. 

    Okay this is getting long winded.  Next Up:  Into the Lounge or Chair Dancing for One.  The day is here.  Go get into it! 

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