Guest Post: Volunteer Emily

Brief bio? (Where you live, how long you`ve lived here, where are you from, etc.)
Hi! My name is Emily Davis, originally from Boulder, Illinois, living in Japan. I lived in Iwaizumi from 2009-10, and have lived in Morioka for the past two years. I'm 25 and work as an English teacher for Zenrinkan NPO in Morioka.

What kinds of work did you do as a volunteer? (What did you do?)
The first time I volunteered, we cleaned out a devastated beauty salon. The second time, we worked on a building that maybe was an apartment complex? The third time we did a Christmas event for children in the temporary housing units.

Was volunteering what you expected it to be? Why/why not?
The first time I volunteered, I really didn't know what to expect. Hard labor, I guess. A little bit of danger. But I didn't expect to be quite so revolted. It probably sounds like I'm a sissy, but we put our hands in this filth over and over again, it got in our eyes, ears, noses, and all the time I was thinking about what could be in it. Plus, the Japanese people didn't really give us directions. People were just doing what they thought needed to be done, and I didn't feel confident just picking up a shovel without someone directing me. I couldn't relax at all that day.
But then we had the second volunteer day. I was really anxious in the morning, thinking that it would be the same thing, but it was completely different. I mean, the work was the same, but I had gotten used to the rancid mud, and having plenty of friends around really helped. I really enjoyed it, I could make a game out of it instead of thinking about the death and feeling anxious. Now I feel totally confident that I could happily volunteer again. (Once it gets warm, that is, I do nothing but kotatsu in the winter...)

What would you say to someone who is thinking about volunteering but hasn`t done it yet?
Do it! It's a great experience, and it will show you what you're made of (in a really good way). But bring a friend or seven with you. Or make some when you get to the site. It's better to do with friends, and it makes it fun, because the devastation can bring you down if you're alone.

What is it like going to one of the coastal towns damaged by the tsunami?
Ummmm. I think everyone really responds differently to it. I'm sure some people feel numb, or cry, or get angry. It sounds bad, but I just feel sick. You see the debris, you smell the old dirt. There are guys directing traffic with batons because the signals were still broken. Those little things that signify "it's not right" really get to me, and kind of tie my stomach in knots. But I'm sure that's not a normal reaction, probably just me.

Other thoughts?
Like you, Anna, I sound incredibly depressing about all this, don't I? But I guess the point is that we've earned this luxury to sound gloomy. There's a certain aura of a battle scar in it, like the kind you show it off at parties and say, "When I was in 'Nam..." We've volunteered: we're part of a tough crowd, we're one of the good guys, and we'd never say it about ourselves, but that feeling of being a hero is definitely a motivating force to return and volunteer some more. And heros don't talk sunshine and rainbows, do they? When was the last time Batman said, "You know, things are really looking up in Gotham City, I'll bet they'll rebuild in no time!"? He wouldn't say that, he probably wouldn't say anything, but he'd stand by his city and hop in his awesome car every time someone raised the batsign. Isn't that good enough?