A New Perspective

It has been nearly 2 months since I last blogged.  I was sidetracked by recent changes at work and in my personal life.  In my expanded charter at Sun, I’m now responsible for defining and implementing a  2-3 year Download platform strategy and road map for supporting Sun’s business model on the Web.  At home, my 10 month old baby girl started attending daycare 3 weeks ago.  As predicted by my friends with children in daycare, my baby girl got sick within the first week.

When work and personal life gets hectic, it’s easy to loose focus on our surroundings including our families, friends and the broader community.  With the recent meltdown in the stock market, undoubtedly everyone’s mind is on their investments and retirement funds.  The going joke is that the 401K should be aptly renamed the 101K.  While the government appears to be aggressively tackling the financial problems, the looming news of a major recession is having an even greater impact on the less fortunate people.

This past week, a small group of Sun employees volunteered at the Glide Memorial in San Francisco.  We spent 2 hours serving lunch to the poor, the elderly, and the homeless who depend on Glide for 3 nutritious meals a day.  The door at Glide is open 365 days a year, and it’s open to everyone.  During lunch alone, they serve up on the average about 700 to 900 meals.  But without funding from local government, grants and individual donations, as well as help from volunteers to help serve the meals, this non-profit organization cannot perform its miracles.

I signed up for the volunteer event, because I needed a break and  because it was an opportunity to bond with my co-workers.  I walk away with a new perspective, with greater appreciation for my own welfare and greater recognition of the needs of the less fortunate.  I want to spread the word and encourage you to consider how you can help during such difficult times.  Lastly, if you have never volunteered at Glide, I highly recommend that you try it at least once.  I walked away feeling really good about my service.