I'm Back...and Loving Twitter!

It’s been longer than hoped since my last blog post, but not for lack of wanting to share!  Between starting a new job and the Arlington County Fair being less than two months away, it’s been an interesting adjustment of priorities.  I recently left a part-time job at Crate & Barrel after 3 ½ years there.  I worked there because I wanted to – I liked the people, I loved the products, and it was a lot of fun.  Leaving Crate was bittersweet, as I left in hopes of spending more time with my husband and having a better work-life balance, but I enjoyed working there until the very end.  I am torn between wanting to go back when things calm down, and wanting to get more involved in non-fair related volunteering. 

To get back into the habit of sharing how volunteering makes you happy, I wanted to share a short list of happy things I’ve learned from Twitter.  Sure it’s a little random, but you might learn something!

1. Twitter is a really great way of sharing information and meeting new people.  I didn’t fully appreciate it before, but I went to the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in New Orleans and met so many people from conversations that started as tweets.  Some of the people are from Arlington and Washington D.C.  I never imagined that we would connect so far away.
2. Getting involved in the community is really easy when you’re following the right people.  I have tutored and mentored a few awesome kids and was hoping to get more involved in this area.  As if they read my mind, Greater DC Cares posted a survey on Twitter to match volunteers up with specific organizations that need mentors and tutors.  How easy is that?  
3. It’s really fun when people follow you on Twitter.  It makes you feel happy to know that people are listening.  And it’s really cool when you get on someone’s list.  Could you possibly need more motivation to keep up with your Twitter account than that?
4. It’s really exciting when people retweet and respond to your messages.  It shows that they care about what you’re saying.  Because of that, I try to share other messages often.  I like to be original but it’s great to show support – and it’s easier to keep up with!  Helping others also makes them want to help you so it’s a win-win.
5. This is a completely unprofessional opinion, but I find it easier to get people engaged on Twitter than on Facebook.  This may be because you can start a conversation with someone you don’t know at all just by replying to them.  In any event, it’s a fun way to get started.  In the end, though, don’t forget to look up from your smartphone and have real conversations every once in a while!

So, if you have an account, I encourage you to keep up with it.  If not, it might be worth a try.  You never know who you might meet.  Just be sure to follow me when you're there -- @volunteerhappy :)

Happy volunteering!