WANT TO MEET NEW FRIENDS? VOLUNTEER!
Volunteering for the community is a great way to meet new friends and interesting people. While helping out at various Fort Wayne area non-profit organizations, I have had the pleasure to meet many. One such person was Author David Poling, a native Fort Wayne resident who has recently published a new children’s book entitled, A Rabatrosity.
On June 23rd through June 25th, Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities hosted the 2016 United States Association of Blind Athletes Goalball Nationals. Along with athletes from all over the country who came to compete, there were also many area residents volunteering to make the event a success. As the events are happening, there are also area residents who work out there at the fitness center and pool.
This is how I had the pleasure to meet David Poling. We were both walking out after a great day of volunteering and working out where we struck up a conversation. Most of the residents that work out at Turnstone have great stories of determination. David’s story was one of a lifetime of fighting obesity. I also have struggled for years with my health and as we exchanged stories, it turned out that we also had writing in common. As we talked about our struggles with weight loss, we soon found we had common ground in some of the struggles that weight problems have caused us both. Feeling isolated and not fitting in is many times a result of being different.
David shared with me, his dream of publishing a children’s book that recently came true. His children’s story, A Rabitrocity came about as an imaginary parallel to some of his life struggles. The main character in his book is Rab, a newborn looking for a place to fit in. In the end he finds acceptance in his friends and family who will always love him for who he is. Rab’s search for his place in this world parallels David’s and many others as they struggle for acceptance.
He was gracious enough to give me a copy of his new book, which he also signed for me. I read the book and shared it with my grandchildren who loved it! Meeting David has inspired me to go after my dream of publishing a book and to remember that through life’s ups and downs, it is connections with others that make life great!
To learn about David’s book, go to, worldofrab.com and to learn about volunteer opportunities at Turnstone, go to turnstone.org.
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