Women on a Mission

I volunteer for a non-profit, and, like the rest of the country, our funds are tight.  To raise money, it was decided that we would hold a used-book sale.  Donations POURED in - I would say we have about 8,000 books.  Many, many people donated their used books.  The local mall donated a vacant storefront, tables and some signs.  A moving company donated their time and truck (and some hunky young men) to move the books over to the mall.

Then the real work began.  Volunteers swooped in to help organize these books.  How to sort them? Where to put the tables?  How detailed should we get?  Discussions on that began and led to discussions about every other picayune little detail.  Interesting thing about women... no one blew up when someone else's ideas were louder than their own.  There was alot of retreating along with under-their-breath mutterings.  I observed this quietly as I know for a fact that I am a good worker-bee and not a queen bee.  I don't know if I don't want the responsibility, or I am just a wimp. 

What was so interesting was to see the way it played out.  It seemed  that whoever took the first active step had a line of helpers right behind them to do the work.  And these women (and a few men) got it in gear and worked HARD.  Hidden talents were unveiled and a sense of community was pervasive.  It was a wonderful tribal experience.  What looked like an insurmountable pile of books now looks like the world's best bookstore.  We walked out smiling, happy, fulfilled and physically exhausted.  I made some great new friends.  Now tomorrow begins the sale....let's see what it's like dealing with the general public looking through 8,000 books!!