On the Value of Work and Experience

As I sat in my sleeping bag in the roundhouse, I began to think about the value of volunteering and gaining experience in general. If you volunteer doing something you enjoy, you'll find eventually that time goes by really fast and you notice changes in yourself. That's been the case for me. Mostly I've been volunteering at the Farm, and I view the place very differently from when I first arrived on the 14th Novemeber, on my 20th Birthday. I now know the volunteers quite well and have had many great times. I have also volunteered at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, but I view that as more of an extension of other conservation voluntary work I've done before. Although I want to work in conservation, Butser is more unique in many respects, so I'll
use my work there as the primary example.

Experience to me is an interesting thing, because I never had much at all before joining these several voluntary groups, in Scotland and England. I believe I've said it before, but volunteering really is one of the great values in life, I think. It gives you experience in life, in the practical, theoretical and it all builds up. It also gives a better work ethic and lasting connections.

It's not just about volunteering though, in everything one does there's experience to be gained. I'm somewhat obsessed with not allowing my self to stagnate too much these days. I do have bouts of laziness, but I am at least concious of it, and that's what matters. I feel better when I've done hard work or have read something new. Everything I do now so different from my earlier years that I really see no value whatsoever in those days. Only in the last few years has there been any sort of improvement, and I'd say I've really thrown myself into having new experiences. You can't grow as a person and mature if you just don't do things. I just wish I had the sense to start doing work like this and developing my interests at an earlier age. I really didn't think I'd be working on a Mesolithic boat or sleeping in roundhouses just a few years ago. It's easy to write that, but you won't understand the full extent of why that's such an important realisation. It's because I did such vastly different work when I was younger. I mainly dwelt in the digital realm and although I worked hard, it's just such a contrast that I can never fully comprehend. Becoming interested in nature and the countryside was a colossal turning point in my life, and I dread to think what I'd be doing if I didn't take those first steps.

So volunteer, do new things and meet new, like-minded people. If, like me, you found it hard at first, I urge you to try it. You won't regret it. In the case of volunteering, you will be able to say you've lead a good life, doing good work for free. And on gaining experience in general, don't be afraid to jump in and just do things, visit interesting places, and learn and observe.You'll eventually find that the days will roll by and you'll find yourself moulded and changed by the experiences you've had.