“The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them.”

— Queen Victoria

The only important people in our world are not just the people who make the news.

Celebrities, political figures, heads of state, CEO’s, professional athletes, etc. It’s easy to fall into the trap that only these “important” people do “important” things.

My son Zachary, giving a little of his time to harvest for others.

But I’m not convinced those are the only important people. There are so many more folks doing work which is just as important.

For example, the people my son and I met yesterday when we volunteered for a couple hours at the Beaverton Giving Gardens. They gave up two hours of their Saturday to help get fresh produce to people who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Here’s some of the important work they’re doing. Work that may otherwise go unrecognized.

• A student who is about to start her doctoral program at Oregon State University in molecular biology. Doing her research in conjunction with the university and a pharmaceutical company, she’s trying to develop an antibody to combat antibiotic-resitant strains of bacteria found in hospitals.
• A mother teaching her eighth grade son about the value of service and giving back to their community.
• A father and his two boys spending quality time together, enjoying a morning in the sun, harvesting tomatoes.
• Another college student, fasting through this month of Ramadan, completing her twenty volunteer hours in association with a families and poverty class. Her goal is to enter the social work field.
• A mother of a six-year-old who has given her time every Saturday morning during the summer to the gardens, teaching non-gardeners a little bit about where their food comes from.

A vegetable harvest by important people for important people

Even a few minutes spent talking to people like this is rewarding. Your attitude towards what is really important may shift if you spend enough time around people giving their time freely for a good cause. It reminds you that there are a lot of people in the world doing good things, important things, going places, teaching values, and helping each other.

These are the important people. Everyday people.

People like you and me who want to make the world a little bit better place.

Yesterday’s gift of time … Volunteered at the Beaverton Giving Gardens with my son Zachary. It was important.