Some of my earliest memories growing up in my family were related to service. My parents and grandmother served as role models for my sisters and me through their involvement in our community. Their commitment to giving back includedvolunteering with organizations such as the Pilot Club, the Optimist Club, and the Girl Scouts of America. They were involved in our local church, served on the school board, and were members of organizations that supported education, the health of children, and the community as a whole. Service was in their blood, and I followed their lead through my involvement in service organizations starting in high school. I have continued that service habit ever since, and we have raised our sons to also give back.
I know that many of you have a similar mindset when it comes to service and volunteer across a broad spectrum of community organizations that resonate with your personal values. There is a quote related to service that I recently heard which eloquently describes my view on the topic.
“Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.”
– Marian Wright Edelman1
I find it telling that one definition of service is “a system supplying a public need such as transport, communications, or utilities such as electricity and water.” The close link between our profession and the concept of service is likely what drives many of us every day. For the most part, we transportation professionals go about the business of designing, building, operating, maintaining, and improving this vast transportation network, mostly behind the scenes. We work to make sure everything runs as efficiently as possible and address problems and roadblocks with aplomb. We rarely seek recognition. We just do our jobs and move on to the next challenge. Our selfless service is what motivates us. Transportation has a broad impact on society, and we need to have a broad understanding of the effects our decisions have on the overall quality of life and the long-term prosperity of our customers. We need to serve our communities to help ensure their long-term viability and to support the desire for our neighbors to be able to live, work, and achieve a quality of life for themselves and their families.
To quote Fred Rogers, “[m]y mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” I truly believe that most of us chose this profession for one reason: to serve our communities and our fellow citizens. We see this field as a way to be helpers, to care about others. I know with certainty that it is the reason I get up every day, go to work, and hope to make this world a little better. As we come back together in person at the Annual Meeting this month in New Orleans, I hope you can join us to celebrate the helpers among us: our award winners, our leaders, our exhibitors, and our colleagues sharing the great work they are doing to make a difference as they pay their rent. I hope to see you there!
Would you like to share your stories of service to our profession or your community? Reach out to me on the ITE e-Community or on Twitter: @BeverlyKuhn.
This is from the July issue of ITE Journal.