Volunteering

I have learnt a lot about volunteering in the last couple of years. When I was first recovering and insistent that I would be going back to my normal job, volunteering was suggested as an alternative. I was very reluctant to do it. Maybe subconsciously I probably knew I wasn’t up to it. Luckily where I work have been great and I still had my job to go back to. When I go to Headway every week the best people that I meet there are usually the volunteers. They are all there for different reasons but all have the aim to help you, with even the simplest thing. They are there to just talk to you and to listen to what you want to say. Usually with a smile on their face. Recently I have been thinking that volunteering is a great thing to do despite a lot of my time is being taken up with work, and getting to work. I thought what could I volunteer to do? I have worked in the same place for 19 years and I was an expert, but maybe stuck in a rut. I see that as my ‘previous’ life, now in my ‘new’ life what am I am an expert in? I know I am an expert in brain injury, and not just from the brain injury education I get from Headway. I have insider knowledge. Today I went for an interview for a volunteer job in an ABI care home. The interview went very well, well I am an expert in what I was talking about.