Living in a civic-minded place like Portland, it is hard not to be involved and helping out within our community. Portland offers it's citizens an array of non-profits, from good local ones like the Oregon Food Bank, Schoolhouse Supplies to international organizations like Mercy Corps. There are also our schools and religious institution. The list really goes on and on. Oh yeah, don't forget about coaching your kid's sports teams.
It seems on any given week, either Amy or I or both of us have some type of meeting to go to for the various things we raise our hands for (some might call us gluttons for punishment). Why do all this mishugas? Jewish guilt perhaps? Or is that we are bleeding-heart Liberals? Perhaps we just simply get pleasure and self-fulfillment from doing "our part".
I know in our house, Mira & Eli are so used to us going out to another "boring meeting" that it doesn't even phase them - or maybe (and hopefully) it does. Truth is, yes many of things Amy & I run off to are "boring meetings" and sometimes I would rather watch paint dry than fulfill the obligation.
We hope that we are leading by example for our children. That they realize that we have much to give back to our little community as we have been given and then some and that they don't grow up thinking the world owes them is important to us. It is part of what defines us in the world of "think globally, act locally".
