A POEM FROM MARTINA RICCI

Who is behind the face of a volunteer?

Did you ever wonder who is behind the face of a volunteer?

Did you ever do to yourself for a moment a few questions about his life, what he does to get by?

Did you ever try to think that behind these faces there are normal people with normal jobs who make accounts in their pockets to get to the end of the month as we all usually do?

So what's different between voluntary and "ordinary people"?

Someone pays him for what he does? Someone asks him to do what he does? Someone forces him to do what he does?

The answer is no.

The volunteer is a poor fool, a fool for love, a crazy idealist, a dreamer.

The volunteer is an ordinary boy, sometimes little more than boy, who generally keeps his small house, its small and dirty cars, its small and big spending ... and that 99% of the time he drives around in old clothes, worn by time and full of hair!

This is not just because he doesn't love himself.

The volunteer doesn't have time!

He doesn't have time on weekends to shop and choose the most fashionable clothes ... even then he wouldn't have many opportunities to wear them.

He doesn't have time off from work because every moment is devoted to an emergency, a day shelter, a dog that is waiting for him.

The volunteer has no money ...

He hasn't money because the volunteer sees no reason to allocate those few euros to himself when he knows that with the same amount could save a dog ... or at least make a small contribution to this purpose.

The volunteer doesn't want.

He doesn't want to go shopping since a day of shopping cannot stand the comparison with a day dedicated to his great passion.

Because it's this that keep a volunteer alive: passion!

A passion that fills and breaks his heart!

A passion that keeps him awake at night!

A passion that burns his soul!

A passion that leads him until the 15^th of the month and never over that day ... since he is able to say no to the coffee,to the sea, cigarettes, pizza ... even to the shopping! but he is not be able to say NO to the eyes of a dog
...

And then what does the volunteer gain from all this?

What goes into the pockets of a volunteer?

Well ... nothing ... in his pockets are nothing by lint!

But did you ever wonder how is his heart so full of love?

Full of joy, of hope, of illusion ... but a so tender delusion!

Did you ever see this?

Did you ever go beyond that aspect a bit 'sloppy, these tired eyes... did you ever look at that little light in his eyes?

Try to do it ... try to wear those clothes, to feel that passion, the disappointments, the pain ...

Try to imagine how he feels when, after another day of struggle against the world, he gets a call that says "take my dog, I do not want it anymore..."

Try to understand how awful it can be to hear this...

Because the volunteer can't!

He can't also take responsibility for your dog because he doesn't have the opportunity.

He can't understand how, after so many years, you can give away a piece of your heart.

He can't sleep during the night just because he wasn't be able to help.

And he wants to help only the soul alone, that you are abandoning because it has become uncomfortable or inconvenient; because after so many years he began to give problems, because her hair isn't the same and people no longer stop with admiration ...

Because the volunteer wants to help this abandoned soul; the man who abandons the soul is not entitled to consideration, respect, or even to exist.

The volunteer does not have anything for him.

The volunteer is only a VOLUNTEER.

Try to make these considerations before making another phone call looking for some poor devil to take charge of the task that you are too cowardly and selfish accomplish.

Try to make these considerations before you expect to be assisted in your selfish task.

Try to feel the pain that's in that "I can not" followed by the millions of thoughts that floods his head in the end that will do the soul alone. And what a sad life he has become, knowning the one he believed that was his family is dumping him without any problems ...

Try to live your gesture from his eyes ...

Not from the eyes of a dog because the dog forgives, the dog is innocent, the dog doesn't know of your justifications.

The dog will probably go on to think for the rest of his life he had done something immensely wrong to be abandoned by his pack, his leader.

The dog will go on to suffer hoping for your return ... forever.

But not the volunteer.

The volunteer doesn't have this gift.

The volunteer doesn't forgive.

Look in his eyes before you make that call.

And then ask yourself who is the beast.