Summer Canvassing

I have been working for a non for profit organization called NYPIRG. (The New York Public Interest Research Group ---> www.nypirg.org.) I have declined to write about it since it was definitely not part of the graduation/life plan. I have worked for NYPIRG for the past three summers. I always considered it a great summer job and part of what was so great about it was that it ended at the end of the summer. There were no awkward goodbyes when I left because come the end of August, everyone left. In the Buffalo office, there is a small staff of about 20 people, mostly being college aged kids, some in school, and some not. All of them good people wanting to fit in somewhere and all wanting to do their part in helping their community and bettering themselves. I always loved the respect and appreciation everyone gave to each other in this organization. Going door-to-door touting the evils of mercury and green-house gas emissions is not an easy thing. We all understand that, and we're all in it together, day in and day out.

This summer we're campaigning to decrease pollution that is adding to global warming. NYPIRG effects state policy and we plan to win. I'm excited to see what happens when the New York Senate meets again.

It was funny that I fell into working for NYPIRG. I had never been particularly into politics. I always felt personally responsible in reducing, reusing and recycling. Honestly, living at school I didn't have very many "things" at all that I could throw out. (I'm kind of a minimalist.) That was something I had to readjust to at home. Three non-working computers in the basement and buying a new one. (What???) Anyway, I liked the idea of working for the environment being myself, dressing how I wanted to, and having this immediate group of friends who had the same ideologies as I did. Now I was raising money making a quantitative impact on environmental policy through communities that supported my work. I was happy. And again, after every door slam, I would remember, this ends in August.

This summer is not exactly the same case. I was promoted to field manager after three weeks of working as a canvasser. My best friends at work left. I am in a management role for the first time in my life where I am working above people, and realizing relationships aren't quite the same when you're someone's boss. And what about the end of the summer? No going back to school. Am I going to be out of a job?

I have applied to be a project coordinator for NYPIRG which is year round, salary, a real job. Again, it's funny the path that I've been on this far. I never thought I would be a person who would work in politics but I want this job. I care about it, and the organization. I can't really let go of my desire to travel and work as closely to music as possible but I feel like this is a time in my life where I need to figure out where my priorities lie. Maybe this is the answer I've been looking for.