Finding A Way To Do "The Work" And Stay Sane

I'm sitting here with a cup of decaf coffee and it's finally starting to feel like fall which is appropriate given the lesson we had today in my class for those learning ESL (english as a second language). We spoke about trees, leaves and corn mazes; apple cider and climate patterns of their native countries. All things fall. 

deciduous 

With the election coming up, and the creeping-in-feeling of hopelessness with everything going on in the world - I decided to make a plan. A plan that would help deter the usual anxiety/depression that starts to invade my head around this time of year and is only amplified during election season. The major component of the plan was to find some place to volunteer and it needed to be a place where I'd feel like The Work was being done. You know...the work. The Work being direct community actions and assistance for those that need it with little to no barriers in receiving that help. I went to my little weekly trip to the library to pick up some items I had on hold. On the drive home, after seeing all the programs they offered there at the library, I realized it's where I want to be. 

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Trump also suggested using the military to go after the "enemy from within" on Election Day in an interview with Fox News that aired on Sunday, pointing to Democrats and those who oppose or have investigated him.

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If a presidential candidate was going to do everything in their power to round up and deport immigrants and migrants then I'll do what I can to help them stay (documented or undocumented I would not know as that information is not required at the library), including learning to conversate in english. 

foliage 

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"Hi, my name is D____ . I'm from Belarus.

"Hi, my name is T____. I'm from Iran. 

"Hi, my name is C____. I'm from Lebanon. 

"Hi, my name is M____. I'm from... the United States. 

"Dear, we need you to speak louder!"

"Hi, mynameisM___andi'mfromtheunitedstates." 

"Hi, my name is E____. I'm from Mexico.

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autumn

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An Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building in northern Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 21 people, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.

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rake

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I've only been a volunteer at the library for about a month now and absolutely love it. While others see me as giving time to help migrants and immigrants learn english, I see it as they are helping me just as much if not more. I'm going to do my best to serve them as they learn; as we all learn. Because, there is a lot of learning involved on both sides, it's a blessing. 

I encourage everyone to try to find a place that is doing The Work and volunteer because oftentimes they are short-staffed, underfunded and overwhelmed.  You can help. 

xoxo