I had a phone call with a volunteer coordinator on Thursday, February 23rd, answering final
questions, providing a better idea of my interests, and getting direction on
where I could get involved as soon as possible.
The coordinator told me that I could come in this Saturday morning for park
cleanup with the Park Ranger team. The event began at 9:30; just show up, and all materials would be
provided.
Thursday was one of those
unseasonably warm days that marked late winter and early spring. By Friday night, snow began falling (it was
February after all). Saturday morning
dawned clear, bright and cold, with about four inches of snow on the ground and drifts twice that high. I
should have turned over and gone back to sleep, but the voice of Duty instructed
me to “Get out there and clean up that park!”
With an eager smile, I announced to
the woman at the reception desk that I was here for Park Ranger duty. She smiled apologetically. “That started at 9:00, and no one showed up because
of the snow. Everything’s pretty much
covered over.” I explained that the
volunteer coordinator I spoke with this week had given me the start time, and
had not mentioned any weather restrictions.
Turns out, the coordinator I spoke with was very new and not familiar
with the schedules. I thanked her, turned around, and walked home, feeling kind of stupid. Right, Melissa. If snow covers the trash, it’s hard to find, collect,
and dispose of it. I took the long way
home, walking to Lake Park to enjoy the snow-covered landscape, most likely the
last of its kind for the winter.
Lesson learned – every organization
gets its signals crossed, and new employees with the best intentions make
mistakes. I’ve been there, too, so I can
empathize. Oh, well. There’s always next week.
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