Our vacation time in Florida was awesome, tropical storm and all.  It rained non-stop from the moment we arrived, but that didn’t prevent us from going out and having fun.  As a matter of fact, I noticed a huge crowd in almost every single place we went to, wearing ponchos, or just walking in the rain, getting soaked and making the best of it.  There were even quite a few folks in their swimsuits, going down the slides at the Wet n’ Wild water park! I guess it’s true what they say, when life gives you lemons…

But now the vacation is over and it’s time to catch up where I left. Lots going on while I was gone! Let’s see… Ricky and Mike have been very busy posting about SolidWorks 2009, there’s a PhotoView 360 rendering contest, and, sadly, controversy over SolidWorks subscription fees and whether or not SolidWorks values the work of those that volunteer their time and expertise for things like Beta testing, blog writing, user group meetings, etc. While I really have nothing to say about the issue of the subscription fees mainly because I’m a newcomer, unfamiliar with all these politics, I felt I had something to say about my own experience as a volunteer blogger for SolidWorks.   Notice how I emphasize that this is my personal experience; others may disagree, depending on their particular outlook, their experiences, or simply due to the way they approach volunteer work in general.

What I want to say is really simple: When it comes to volunteer work, no matter who you do it for (a church, a group of friends, the baseball league, your local parent group, a shelter, SolidWorks) or what you volunteer for, you should never expect a reward or payment for anything you do, otherwise you’ll always feel cheated and disappointed, and your reward will never seem enough to you, no matter what you do get from it ( a sincere and thankful heart, recognition among your peers, prestige, free entrance to SWW and a trip to Spain, perhaps?) . That’s the whole point of it being a volunteer effort! It’s something you do because you want to do it, because you believe in it strongly enough and you wish to help make a difference. Nobody is forcing you to volunteer!  Ah, but volunteer work is not just reserved for charity, even in everyday life it is important because many times it’s the only way to achieve a huge goal that otherwise would’ve been impossible, and that, itself, is usually the only reward you’ll get from it… and it’s a big reward, let me tell you, just seeing it all come to completion and knowing that you contributed with your little grain of sand. No amount of money can ever pay for that!

When I was offered the opportunity (yes, I call it opportunity) to become a blogger for SolidWorks, several months ago, I was also warned that this was a volunteer work, and there would be no payment. I didn’t care about that because I was, and still am, way too excited simply about having this space all for myself to share my thoughts, experiences and whatever I learn about SW with others. When I talked about it with some people I knew, some thought it was something silly. “What’s in it for you, anyway?” that’s what they’d say; “You are going to put a lot of time and effort into it and get nothing back!” Well, I didn’t know exactly what to say to these people back then, but it sure sounded really good to me for some reason. Over the months, however, I think I’ve gotten more than I’ve put in, and I’m not talking about money or material gifts. Sure, I was invited to Spain and that is awesome, and SW didn’t have to invite me just for blogging, but they did. No, the best I’ve gotten from being a blogger for SolidWorks is a front row seat for learning and networking. This incredible experience and the feeling that somebody believes in me, that they believe I have something to contribute, even after all these years, that is my reward and it’s special for me. It inspires me to go on and keep trying, even when I know some others out there may consider my achievements as insignificant. That, for me, is much better than getting paid any money for doing this… and is also something I didn’t expect and didn’t ask for, which makes it even better.

So, anyway, I don’t mean to create any sort of controversy. Just wanted to state my point of view. Now I only wish I can have the opportunity to continue learning and blogging for the longest time, and that my contribution can be somehow useful to others out there, even if they can’t remember my name.