After my graduation, I got a job and moved to another city. Being at home for 21 years, I just couldn't wait to get out. This new found freedom was over-whelming that my first goal was to watch all the American TV shows that my friends watched during college. And I actually did watch them, 5 long TV shows which took about an year to complete. The joy I had after I finished every series was immense, and I was very proud to have caught up with the lingo that my friends used. Every time, they made a reference I understood. I did not just watch series over the year, but did learn a lot at work as well. I was improving and improvising in my work. Yet, there was something lacking in what I was doing. Then, I came across some old posts of my friends at a volunteering event and something just inspired me so much that I decided to "Go for It", an attitude I always lacked. I just thought of this as "New City, New Experiences". That is when I enrolled in a Chennai-based NGO: Bhumi, in Bangalore. The volunteering was only on Saturday. The place was so far-off that I had to travel for about 2 hours to reach, taking 2 buses and walk for 1.5 km. I volunteered in an initiative: Lakshya, where teenage kids we conducted activities to improve their inter-personal skills, team-building skills and communication skills. Since this was activity based, the kids enjoyed it so much and somewhere even I started to enjoy it too. I didn't know if I really fit in places where I had to speak in front of a crowd. This Saturday routine continued for the next 6 months until I left Bangalore. This wasn't about me teaching a group of teenagers, it was also about learning experience from them as well. Those 6 months affected me in ways that last 4 years couldn't. It was when I found, the wealth of giving. You don't just have to give money to be charitable, your time is precious as well.
P.S. You just have to give chance for it to give you a chance, to experience "The Wealth of Giving".
Bon Nuit!
S.
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