I am so glad I accepted the role of being a care team member on this site. I have been a member here for a while and frankly I never really wanted an official role. Occasionally I would step in and help out, but I was happy with that.
A few weeks ago a friend asked if I would consider increasing my involvement. It’s not that I had not been asked. Over the years a few invitations were extended, and I was either too busy at work or I was working on my doctorate. Well work is done, the doctorate is completed and I found myself looking around for something to do. So the invitation came at a good time.
Still I didn't just drop everything and sign on. Let’s face it stepping up is never easy and it comes with some risk. I think it comes down to a risk reward calculation. Am I willing to risk my time and effort for the rewards that will come with a job? Frankly I saw lots of work and not many rewards. But still if I could say I was making my favorite site run better or be better in some way than the reward might be worth it. So I said yes.
At first the task seemed a bit daunting. Sending new member greetings, and birthday wishes, looking for spammers or looking for people in trouble is work. But a commitment is a commitment so I dug in took off and did the job as best I could.
Soon I was receiving daily thank you’s, friend requests and notes of kindness for my meager work. Then I found a project or two to help with and finally one of the new members asked me for help. When that happened I had arrived. I did help the new member and afterward I thought, you know that really felt good.
Now it has not all been peaches and cream. Along with seeing more of the web site I like so much I also saw some discussion groups that trouble me. When I find those I often respond and some of those responses have been less than the best. Sometimes personal opinions over shadow the role I have accepted and I am trying to balance my opinion with my position. I just do not always have a good balance and for that I apologize to fellow care team members and to those I may have caused hurt. I am trying to do better.
But the message I have for readers of this little post is that if you are asked to help out around here, you should. Yes it takes time and yes you will make mistakes. But let me tell you, when a person asks for help and you are able to give advice, or share a thought that makes sense to them, when a mom with a new diabetic child is so scared she can barely contain herself and you give her comfort, or when a new teenage diabetic comes to express discontent with his worried parents and you clam him down, then you will get your reward.
I truly love this site and over the last few weeks I come to love it even more than today. Thank you so much for asking. It means a lot to me and if the reader of this post is ever asked and they accept the challenge, they will find a new way to serve you fellow diabetics and believe me it is so worthwhile.
Jrtpup thank you so much for asking!! I appreciate the challenge to serve.
-30-
Rick