Inside Hollow Earth
What Do You Do?
For the past half decade I wrote for and edited a small regional publication. One of my early assignments was to interview a local bank president, known for his commitment to charitable works. I found him genuine and pleasant. At the end of our conversation, he asked me, "What do you do?" Meaning, of course, not what do I do for work, but what do I do in the way of community service. I felt an instant sense of shame. How to answer? I sit around reading books when I have spare time? I never drop banana peels on the sidewalk? I make my own kim chi? Soon thereafter, inspired, I applied to be on my town cultural council, and to sit on the advisory board of an arts organization. Earlier this week, I was made co-chair of the council, and I'm proud of this because it gives me a pleasant way to do something for the town in which I live for which I receive nothing in return -- nothing other than saving myself a sense of shame should I ever run into the bank president again and he...