What's left

My experiences with Spindletop will be some I never forget. Sure the sweeping and dusting didn’t sound all that interesting when I first started the project, but as I’m nearing the end of my first semester with the TALH program, I find myself glad Spindletop was my first service project.

I didn’t think much of this service project coming in. In the beginning, I only chose Spindletop as my service commitment because it was the most convenient. Without a car or a ride, I was left with little else to pick from. My first day was awkward and went by a lot quicker than I thought it would. For two hours, I was stuck in the drug and confectionary building listening to Amber’s music, dusting, and helping her to squeegee the windows. When I left that day, I figured every Thursday after that would be the same. I was right in the sense that I’d be doing the same type of work every time I visited Spindletop. However, every day I worked at Spindletop, I enjoyed my time there a little bit more. The days I spent there were filled with music, singing, dancing, laughing, and snacking whenever Amber and I got a chance to.

Because of Spindletop, I’ve learned two things: that my time is what I make it and that community service isn’t about me. My Thursdays could’ve been terrible had I not tried to make them a little more fun. Without a friend and some nice IPhone apps, service would’ve been a lot duller. (And getting pizza afterwards from the C-Store always served as an incentive to go to Spindletop and do some cleaning.) But coupled with this “fun,” I had to realize that service projects aren’t about entertaining the volunteer, they’re about helping out the people in need of volunteers. Not many people think to volunteer at Spindletop. As a matter of fact, other than Amber and me, there’s only one other volunteer who shows up every other week. The Spindletop Museum needs volunteers to help with the menial tasks such as sweeping through all of the buildings and clearing out all of the cobwebs, but because there are so few, my work as a volunteer is needed.
Through this experience, I’ve learned to put the needs and feelings of others before my discomforts and myself. I may not always feel so excited to do the work, but afterwards, I’m glad that I have. Knowing that it’s helped the Spindletop staff makes all of the cleaning (and boredom and walking and sweating, etc) worth it. I know I'm not making much of a difference in their lives as compared to the students who volunteer at hospitals and at ESL (English as a Second Language), but I'm doing my best to improve their day to day life. Every building I clean is one less worry for Mark Osborne, the Spindletop Museum director. Every time I show up is one more volunteer to help out with the tasks that the other staff members are honestly too busy to complete. My impact may be minuscule on a big scale, but to me, I'm helping out people in need, and that makes my service just as important as any other service project out there.

As far as next semester goes, I don’t think I’ll be committing to Spindletop again. While the overall experience was great and taught me many things, there are so many more service opportunities out there. If I could volunteer at them all, I would, just so I could find out which one(s) suited my passions better. Even still, Spindletop has become a significant part of my life. After sixteen hours of sweeping, after thirty-two miles of walking, and after oh-so-many slices of pizza, I know this service project will be impossible to forget. In the end, it’s not going to matter how much fun I had at my service project. What I think matters the most is the impact we as volunteers have on the lives we’re meant to be helping.