Having a purpose.

Recognising that just “being alive” is no longer enough, I have started to put some structure back into my life. This means that after a year of no commitments, apart from Drs appointments, I have decided that I want some structure back.....some things that mean I have to get up, get dressed, go out, see people etc.

Being ill can be a very selfish....no, self centred, activity......and the time has come for me to stop having the world revolve around me.

So...... yesterday, after a gym session ( I can still be a bit self centred....I want to be as fit as I can be ! ) I went to spend an hour in our local hospice charity shop. I met the manager and 2 of the volunteers, and “worked” for an hour, learning about sorting bags of donations, stock coding, and pricing. I’m not allowed on the till until my references have been checked out, but I can get on with anything else that needs doing.

I am very excited about it. I sorted the book display out......getting all the cookery books on one shelf, tidying the biography section, the travel section, the sports section and putting the fiction back into some semblance of alphabetical order.

A customer asked me if the poetry books were in and amongst the fiction..... and then as an after thought, she asked me if I worked there.... I told her as I’d only worked there for 20 minutes, I didn’t know the answer, but I would happily help her look through the muddle to see what we could find. (Note to self: establish a poetry section).

I also suggested that a lady who wanted a book about Gran Canaria, change her holiday plans as we had a good selection on Australia.....she did laugh, honestly.

I chatted with a woman who bought some curling tongs, which we decided, upon examination, were brand new, as a protecting piece of card was still attached to the plug.

I priced a couple of blouses, a belt and a pack of teaching resources aimed at 5 year olds. ( I then bought the pack to give to Jess to use on her teaching practice ! ) You will be pleased to know that I sought advice as to how much to charge for the pack, and then added a further 50p, so I could not be seen as pricing something I wanted to buy, too cheaply !

I loved it. I loved the customers I spoke to, I loved the idea of previously owned and loved items being given a new lease of life, and I loved the idea that the hospice benefits with every sale.

I want to work on display, on marketing special events, on supporting some of the older, more frail volunteers, and on getting to know the regulars, the occasional shoppers, and on promoting the work of this brilliant little shop.

I cant wait for next week, when I will be working my first proper shift, 11-4 on Sunday, and then 10 -1 on Monday. My aim is to work at least a couple of shifts a week, and I have no idea where this will take me, but I know it’s going to be fun.

Jess, at the race for Life in Liverpool earlier this year.....purposeful, full of passion and having fun.......Life is good. Lets have more of it !