parkrun gives people a sense of purpose

No running for me today - bit of a back problem which flared up during the week, so I decided to play safe by offering my services as a volunteer at my local Endcliffe Park event.

On arrival I instantly became engaged in a conversation with Frazer and Wendy, one of the longest serving Endcliffe runners and volunteers with 290 runs and 24 volunteering shifts to her name - according to Frazer she's been in it from the start - very impressive.

I asked Wendy why she volunteered with parkrun.  "I want the purple 25 volunteer tee shirt" she replied, tongue firmly in cheek. Relating this conversation back to where it had started, it was clear to me that parkrun gives Wendy a valuable release from the stresses and strains of daily living, as it does for many people.

This week I really wanted to share my conversation with Tony, a colleague at the university, who I see most days around the university  campus sweeping the paths, emptying the bins, cleaning the toilets, generally keeping the place clean and tidy - that's his job.

Chatting to Tony earlier this week was really interesting. The conversation started by me saying to him: "You're always busy aren't you Tony?". "Yes" he replied, "I love my job.". "Why's that?" I asked. His response: "Because I'm well paid, well looked after, the people I work with are friendly and I get a real feeling of satisfaction from my work. Even cleaning the toilets which I do most days, that makes me feel good - I feel like I'm doing something useful."

I found this fascinating. What for some people might seem a fairly menial job, for Tony is clearly a source of considerable satisfaction - it gives his life a sense of purpose. Good on you Tony..!

I told Tony that I too enjoy my job (at least most of the time!) but I also suggested that we may be in a minority. Evidence suggests that many people today do not get the satisfaction and fulfilment from their working lives that Tony was describing - people on zero hours contracts, low wages, people with little autonomy, power or influence in the workplace.  He agreed - I suggested to Tony that he may even be able to see the positive impact of his work more easily than me. As an educator the cause and effect relationship is often more complex and the impact (assuming there is one!) occurs  over longer time periods - but that doesn't make it any less significant and rewarding when it comes. 

My conversation with Tony reminded me of a story told by Rob Parsons, a writer and broadcaster, who spoke about the joy of growing up in South Wales observing his father, a postman for all his working life, who took great pride in his work. Every evening without fail he would shine his boots ready for work the following morning. Rob's dad also derived great satisfaction from delivering what he described as 'the good news' through people's letter boxes every day - in particular the O and A level results for young people. Like Tony, his work gave him a strong sense of purpose, something which clearly had also been passed down the generations. 

Don't we all need a sense of purpose, things to feel proud and pleased about, things that give life its meaning? I certainly do. 

parkrun gives many people around the world that sense of purpose - as runners, volunteers, paid staff, even weird bloggers like me! It brings out and plays to characteristics which I believe are inherent parts of the human condition, namely a desire to connect and collaborate with others, a need for belonging and to feel part of a wider community. In other words, a sense of purpose. 

I can't finish my blog without a quick mention for Tom, a former student of mine and a very good runner, who was taking part today. After the run we spoke about how his career as a special needs teacher is shaping up and his plans and aspirations for the future. Nice to catch up Tom...

Until next time - happy park running.

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