With a lack of career to fill my days, I’m always looking for something to do.

My latest brilliant idea?  Enroll in the Riordan Volunteer Leadership Development Program.  I could meet new people, engage in leadership training, serve on a non-profit board.  It all seemed like a good idea.

I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve met.  The classes have been both informative and interesting.  Board placement . . . well, that’s another matter.  As we had our board fair, I watched executive directors drool over the corporate drones (too harsh, excuse me, employees). 

Which bank do you work for?  You work for Disney? Fox? wow!  They all stressed that in these lean non-profit times, they were interested in corporate board members — to link them to the miserly corporations and hope to squeeze a few cents from our local corporate citizens.

A free thinker like myself with an Ivy League degree and connections to some well off Angelenos — well, not so much interest in me.  They couldn’t really see how I could fit on their boards — couldn’t see what skills I could bring to the table, yadda, yadda — they passed.

So, for a few weeks, I visited with EDs and tried to convince them of my qualification — to work — for free.  Then it hit me, I can’t imagine it’s the best use of my life energy to convince folks that I can be an effective, fund-raising, volunteer. 

In my heart, I think I still believe that people should give back to the communities in which they live.  My experience lately, however, has been that my services are not wanted — to volunteer — for free.

Frankly, I don’t get it.

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