“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

— Dr. Seuss

There’s a side benefit to giving time.

Greek pyrrhic dancing.
(It is not necessary to wear a spartan helmet while volunteering)

There are a lot of personal benefits to giving your time to others – it’s a path to connection and belonging, it helps build confidence, it’s a chance to make a difference, it can change our thinking and attitudes toward others, helps us put problems in perspective, etc. But there’s another benefit.

It’s fun – after that initial stretch.

When we walk into a new place to do a task that we’re not comfortable with, we can be intimidated. Our guard is raised. Our hackles are up. There can be a sense of duty, of “should”, of responsibility, of rigidity. Being around new people or crowds may be uncomfortable. Stretching ourselves can hurt a tiny bit.

But once we get past that initial stretch; once we introduce ourselves to several people; once we allow ourselves to relax a little, focus on the job, and talk with the people we loosen up. We’re more relaxed. We can have more fun.

That’s what I found yesterday, when I taught my daughter’s Art Literacy class on the Ancient Greeks. I wasn’t sure what to expect when 30 middle schoolers poured into the classroom.

Instead, I found a lot of energetic, excited kids. They laughed boisterously. They learned what a toga was, that columns were invented by the Greeks, and that they gave a lot to our society today. The kids gave honest answers. They spoke up. They were generally respectful. They were engaged. They had energy, enthusiasm, and spunk.

It was fun.

Yesterday’s gift of time … Gave a little historical context to a a class of 30 seventh graders on Ancient Greek Pottery. Being around an electric group of middle schoolers was just fun.