Cleaning Out the Attic
By Frank Deaver
Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA
 

     I ventured up into the attic the other day to look for something – not sure now just what it was – but it would have been hard to find anyhow, among all the clutter of "things. "  Things I've saved over the years because "I might need that someday. "  And it set me to thinking about the human inclination to hoard things.  Some of us call it being a "packrat."

     Entrepreneurs have recognized this as a business opportunity for constructing storage facilities.  When we run out of space to store all these things in our houses, many of us rent space to store them.  A recent feature story revealed that some of these storage units are rented for years without ever having been visited – and that over time the rental payments far exceed the value of what has been stored.

     Rotarians are not immune from this "packrat" syndrome.  We tend to store up things that should either be shared with others or discarded.  But those things are a bit different from what was in my attic.

     Things Rotarians should share.  Most obvious, no doubt, is money.  Not knowing what our needs will be in old age, we store away perhaps more money than will be needed, and there is some logic in that.  Sharing our stored funds through Rotary, however, is as simple as a sentence in our will, designating a gift to Rotary at that time when we have no more earthly needs.

     Second, we can share more of our time.  Of course, we're all busy, but budgeting our time can allow participation in Rotary projects as well as Rotary meetings.  Finally, we can share our influence.  In our business and social contacts, we can share with others the fellowship and service opportunities of Rotary.  (How long has it been since you sponsored a new member?)

     Things Rotarians should discard.  If there are grudges still deeply buried in mental storage, they have to go.  Someone once said that "If we always agree, one of us has quit thinking. "  We are certain to disagree with each other occasionally, but it should be an opportunity for discussion, not for lingering resentment.  There is no place in Rotary fellowship for grudges.

     Pride can be justifiable, but it can also destructive.  Rotarians have every right to be proud of our organization and its services, but if that pride leads to a condescending attitude toward other clubs or other people, it has to go.

     Most of all, perhaps, Rotarians should discard any tendency to exclusiveness.  Sure, Rotary does many good things, but so do other organizations and other individuals.  Applauding the accomplishments of others is the gracious thing to do.

     Things in my attic.  Some of those things I had stored in the attic have now been shared with others who have more use for them.  Other things have been discarded.  As Rotarians, we can also benefit from taking inventory of the things we have stored, things that we should share or discard.  It just might make us better Rotarians.  It just might make our club a better club.