Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Volunteering

Image courtesy of rescue.org
As I wrote yesterday, I'm in limbo at the moment after finishing the Crown Phoenix series. For the past few months, I've spent most of my days inside at my computer to write the book and edit it.

After a while, the solitude of that life becomes normal. After all, people are moving around in my head and talking; their relationships and adventures became my version of human interactions, instead of shopping with friends or going to lunch.

Once the books was delivered to my editor, for a few months at least that little world is closed off to me. So today I sashayed to my kid's school, to put in a few hours of volunteer work. I thought it would be a good way to re-enter the Real World. Where you have to Talk and Stuff.

And so it proved. The other women working to prepare for a huge fundraising event were chatty and hardworking. They accepted that I had reappeared from my office after months of sequestering myself without questions or comments, and I can't tell you how happy that made me.
This woman is a god to me.

We had to do crafty, creative stuff. Yeah, I'm really BAD at that. I can't tell you how much I'm NOT the scrapbooking mom, the decorating wife, the flower arranging lady. If you want a room to look thrown together, as if someone unloaded a moving van right in the center of the floor, I'm your gal. When it comes to decorating, I just don't have that gene.

One mom, who is a genius with that kind of stuff, came to my rescue. She was able to move one thing in the lumpy projects I put together and make them look like breathtaking pieces of art.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to different forms of creativity or talent. Some can organize like there is no tomorrow (I cannot.) Some can paint or make music. Some can put kids instantly at ease, start long conversations with strangers, make friends easily, or bake incredible cakes.

My own little talent is creating imaginary worlds, and it is neither worse nor better than any other form or creativity. It is what it is - I just know that it's there in my brain, and that's that.

Would I trade it in for the ability to make my house look like a magazine shoot or effortlessly organize my life?

Well, no. But I will stand next to that mom who can whip those projects into shape.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

As a writer, I too, find that I nee to re-enter the new world. Sometimes I find that first step very difficult, but volunteering is always a good start. Loved the post!

Unknown said...

Hi Allison,
I often feel the same way. We should consider ourselves lucky. We have more than one world in which to dwell. ~Just Jill

Alison DeLuca said...

It's true - I just need to remind myself to come up for air more often!

Natasha said...

Lovely post. If we were all alike, wouldn't the world be incredibly boring?
And I am glad you could come up for air!

Ice Charades said...

Great post ... sometimes it feels like "dating" when I re-emerge into a group of gals like you did. I want to be on my game.

The internal thoughts always run something like: Did I say the right things? Should I have worn something different? Will they think I'm cool or a dweeb?

Enjoy your time away from the cave!

Alison DeLuca said...

Just like dating - exactly! I feel like I have to behave myself and not get too silly.