I used to see
helicopters all the time in my neighborhood. They weren’t police helicopters aiming searchlights at shady
figures. What the hell were they? Finally someone informed me that there
was a children’s hospital nearby and the helicopters were bringing sick
children for emergency surgery.
A children’s
hospital? Maybe I could do
volunteer work. I could certainly
spare a few hours a week. I
contemplated this for several years, never got around to doing it. My justification was that I was too
busy writing. I had a novel to finish. So I kept writing and
writing and writing. Then I wrote
some more. Nothing came out of
it. I couldn’t get published. I just couldn’t get published.
Finally I ended up
moving. The memory of those
helicopters haunted me, soaring through the night, bearing sick children across
the sky, landing on the rooftop in between the glittering skyscrapers. I was now half an hour away from the
hospital. It was no longer
conveniently located right down the street. This gave me even bigger justification to remain inert.
I don’t know what got me off my rear end but I attended an orientation, had a couple of
interviews, and before long I was volunteering one morning a week at the
children’s hospital. My job was to
go around the hospital and hand out free books to children with cancer and
blood diseases. The children are
allowed to keep the books, which have been donated to the hospital. Every Wednesday I load my books onto a
cart shaped like a cow called ‘The Book Moobile’.
In the last four
years I have handed out over five thousand free books. It is hard to put into words the
satisfaction I derive from doing service, from finally having the courage and
commonsense not to worry about myself all the time. Although my volunteer work cuts into my writing time, I seem
to get more done at the computer.
I received the news that I sold ‘You Can’t Have My Planet But Take My
Brother, Please’ to Macmillan one day as I was walking through the front door
into the hospital. I do not take
that as a coincidence!
Such a touching and inspiring story.
ReplyDeleteGood kharma always rewards you.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this!
ReplyDeleteTerrific, James. Thank you for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiring post! And the kids must love that book moobile.
ReplyDeleteThis is beyond awesome.
ReplyDelete