March 01, 2007

By: Z.D.

If you’ve happened to turn on your television over the past month (here I will make the bold prediction that you have indeed recently engaged in a little channel surfing) you may have noticed a provocative piece of advertising. Perhaps in between segments of American Idol or CSI, if you were not flipping from one to the other at commercial, you saw an ad articulating the hollowness of unfulfilled good intentions. That is, an ad that imprinted the message of the almost.

“This is a family that was almost fed by neighbours who almost volunteered to help them out…almost volunteered. When it comes to giving, almost doesn’t count.”

After viewing this advertisement, the message resonated. Unlike commercials for dietary supplements or retirement plans, this commercial stuck. I believe the reason this ad had such a jolting impression was because erasing the almost out of my actions is a move I’m still trying to make. The number of times I have almost been really productive, almost been really proactive, or almost done something really profound is countless. The initial motivation that feels like it will propel you to the finish line, or rather, the food bank, suddenly fizzles and with it your bright ambitions dim. Maybe it’s the onslaught of application forms, or the realization that this philanthropic mission actually requires real time and real effort. Whatever the case may be, it is usually here where I like to change the channel and tune into something else.

Yet recently I have attempted to confront this impulse, to not flip, to remain dedicated to my aim. Through Alberta’s YouthVOLUNTEER! I was provided with the opportunity to shed this agitating, adverbial title. As I scanned through their volunteer listings and saw the website writer position, I was faced with a decision: will I almost do something really worthwhile and beneficial? Or will I do something really worthwhile and beneficial? I chose the latter. I decided that I would participate, that I would get involved, that I would donate my skill and time to the AYV! website. It was a refreshing decision. Because no longer am I almost giving, I now am giving.

Z.D.