“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

It’s strange how this quote from Socrates popped into my head as I sat down to write the prelude to my Volunteer Odyssey week. My college Philosophy professors would be so pleased that I remembered this quote from my days at CBU many, MANY years ago! I’m not sure what made me think of it, but after I reflected for a bit, I thought it was quite appropriate. I have had a lot of time recently to examine my life, and through much discernment, came to the conclusion that it was time for a change. After being laid off from a successful career spanning over 27 years with a marketing services company, I decided to take the opportunity to move back to my hometown of Memphis, and work on a career change. While I was grateful for my experience in the corporate world, my job had gotten to the point where it was just a job, and was lacking – lacking depth, lacking reward, and lacking a sense of fulfillment. I wanted a career that at the end of the day, I knew I made a difference in someone’s life, and helped my community. But how do I accomplish this,

after being away from Memphis for over 18 years? That’s when I learned about Volunteer Odyssey. I am so thankful for getting connected with this organization, and I am excited to see what I learn from the experiences during the next week. I look forward to learning about the many non-profit organizations in town, and hope to find the perfect place to start a new volunteer relationship, and who knows, maybe even find a new career.

I hope you will follow me on this journey!

– James O’Toole

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