So why are we volunteering?

Second thoughts? - just for a milli-second only!
Two days to go before VSO let us know if they will accept us as volunteers. It's only 5 days since our VSO assessment but it's long enough to make you think again and ask yourself, what are you doing and why are you doing it? The questioning phase lasted only until I went to the hospital today. I was successfully treated for early stage prostate cancer three and a half years ago; today was a routine check and all is well. However, when I saw some of the other patients in the waiting room, grey, gaunt, but bravely cheerful I knew just why we were volunteering. You are only here once - make the most of it!

Getting all philosophical!
I'm not a religious person, and I really respect people who have made the leap of faith to believe; but ever since my first years in school I have questioned the existence of a God. I have generally been disposed to scientific explanations of how we came to be who we are and Charles Darwin, and of all people Bill Bryson, in his brilliant 'a Short History of Nearly Everything' have enabled me to happily come to terms with the fact that my atoms will one day be dispersed into who knows what and at some stage in the future will re-combine with other atoms to create who knows what again! I can only hope that 'it' is another me because I (we) have really enjoyed life thus far; but I don't mind if it's a worm, an elephant, or a rock; this part of existence has been fantastic on its own and I am very grateful!
At this stage I am comfortable with not having a clue as to how the whole shebang came into existence and I am happy to remain as excited and curious as anybody else to receive an explanation, but I think we will be still searching by the time I 'pop off', so here's to the future, for now!
So my brief hospital reminder of how valuable life is, served to reinforce how important it is to me to make the most of what we have whilst we have it.

I am not a material (girl) man and I don't do:
...cars, clothes, swimming (because Jenny is better than me!) and material things generally;

But I do do: the great outdoors, good tennis, mountain tops, trying to sing tenor in the chorus of our local Operatic Society, good friends - they know who they are! (Jenny being my best), three great sons, travel (especially Africa), and social justice within the context of equal opportunity. Which basically accounts for why volunteering overseas is our chosen next pathway. Compared with some other countries people in the UK have all the opportunity that they need, to get on and lead a decent life; not so in much of the developing world and we know, from our several vists to Malawi, that we have skills, experience, and a certain degree of humility and humanity that might enable us to make a difference to the lives of others, should we be invited to volunteer. Phew - that was hard work but I felt that I wanted to say it!