Diana.nu

I came home from school yesterday, thinking about terrorist suspects (we’re discussing 1984), to watch a cop show. I started paying attention in time to hear a police officer talk about catching drug dealers. She was smiling from ear to ear, ecstatic about planning this for months, “getting lucky” once, and BAM! Catching them!

I wonder what she was thinking at that moment. It feels like it would be safe to bet that she wasn’t thinking about improving society. It was a really smug happiness. Like she had won a game. That kind of happiness doesn’t come from helping people. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi wouldn’t have bragged into a camera like that.

Same with the people who catch terrorist suspects. I know they’re not thinking, “All right, yes! We caught him! We’re going to restore all the good things this person is trying to ruin—democracy, human rights, justice! Yes!” because apparently, they’re torturing these people.

Who was the philosopher that said we do everything because there’s something in it for us? And even when there’s nothing concrete in it for us, we do it because it’ll make us feel good about ourselves?

Well, I don’t know. What do people think when they do a good deed? It makes me feel like a bad person to admit, but last time someone came to me for advice on going vegetarian, I wasn’t thinking, “Yay! We’re saving animals!” At least, that wasn’t the first thing I thought.

How much of the world is doing good things for the “I win!” feeling?

Ha!

On Saturday, I got a really strong urge to help someone. I found Think Together, which is a non-profit organization that provides after-school programs for grades K-12. I love kids, and they serve my old grade school, so I signed up to volunteer.

Today, I went to a volunteer orientation. About 25 people showed up, which was way more than I expected. Throughout the presentation, Disneyland kept coming up. I was like what. But I just ignored it.

I found out eventually that Disneyland is having a promotion called Give a Day, Get a Disney Day. Which means that most of those people found out about the organization because Disneyland is giving them free tickets for four hours of volunteering! WHAT.

Needless to say, I am now signed up for that. (I’m becoming a regular volunteer afterward, though.)

The whole volunteer orientation was a big “Surprise, Diana! You’re going to Disneyland!” How exciting is that?

I found out I’m going to a volunteer orientation on Wednesday, so I decided to do a vlog today so I could focus my Wednesday energy on the orientation. (I’m gonna volunteer at my old grade school’s after-school program!)

Doing this vlog, seriously, it was like being back in gym class in 12th grade. Oh, and also, I mention Josh in this one, and also, Josh just did his first vlog, and it’s funny and awesome (DUH), so go see Josh’s, yes? YES.