Balancing in volunteering

Column vanNettie SterrenburgWe wear flip-flops and summer dresses and carry a sturdy beam between us. My best friend and I are playing outside. The sun is shining, the sky is blue with fluffy clouds. A little plane buzzes with summer sounds. It’s 1974. We lay the beam across the fallen tree by the ditch. That tree fell over in a big autumn storm years ago, yet its branches grow back every year. We create our own seesaw. When the beam is perfectly balanced, we climb onto the tree and step onto the beam. It’s a beloved game. Walking as far apart as possible and keeping the beam in balance. A precise game where we closely monitor each other’s position, give each other directions, listen, stand still, wait for balance, and continue.

Today, during lunch break, I sit at the edge of the playground with the director of a tiny foundation. We eat and talk about the changes in the city.

What is the role of the professional in changing Amsterdam? And what is their role as a volunteer and active resident? Volunteers and professionals must work together to find a good balance, new roles, and positions. How do we meet as equal partners on the balance beam? Sometimes it seems like we all have different interests on the beam. Or that we throw each other off balance instead of keeping each other in equilibrium. It’s about searching, listening, standing still, letting things happen, and moving forward.

He laughs as I tell my story and says: Nice story, I keep moving to at least keep myself in balance.