​There's a peaceful sort of quiet that catches you at first. Stone steeples and small rooves poking out over the canopy of rolling tree-covered hills—it almost feels unreal, certainly anachronistic, but turning around to face again the sprawling gray city pulls you right back.

Walking over to the edge, fourteen stories of air muffling the crowd assembled below, you're struck not by how small everyone seems but how clearly you can still see them. The cheerful faces of friends and co-workers as they await your descent are so plain to see from up here. 

Heart racing, fighting every instinct, but confident your rigging is secure, you lean back over the ledge and gently fall down into your harness—transformed into a human pendulum. Tethered, of course, but freer than you've ever felt.

These past thirteen months with Friends In Deed have challenged, inspired, and changed me in ways I could never have imagined. I can hardly express how lucky I am to have been rewarded with this ceaseless stream of new experiences. And surprisingly, as I think back on it now, what stands out most aren't the obvious things—the events, fundraisers, projects—but instead the subtle things—the way people greet each other in the morning, the funny way we start every staff meeting by sharing something good that's happened in our lives, or just the inherent compassion behind every small little gesture of kindness.

You see, when I started my first year of service, I could have probably been described as a recluse or even a misanthrope. I'd dream of an isolated hermitage in a nondescript rural setting where I could reflect on how I, thankfully, have very little in common with Ted Kaczynski. But spending several months with people dedicated to building community has really given me a new appreciation—a new appreciation for people.

I don't want to offer anyone advice. I don't think I'm in any position to give it, but I can speak to what this experience has meant to me and say, I wish I had been more open from the start. You will do things you've never done before. Hell, you may even go rappelling down the side of a fourteen-story building. It may be exciting, frustrating, or even intimidating at times, but please be assured, no matter where your service takes you, your rigging is secure; you're not going to fall.

“It’s been fifty-five days since patient zero was first exposed to the N1G6 virus. Thirty-four days since Beijing's quarantine broke. Twenty-one days since London fell, thirteen days for New York. Eight days ago the purges stopped. Five days ago the fires finally died out. For three days, we’ve been without food, and two days we’ve managed without ammunition. Yesterday two of them got in, so today, we have to move. Who would’ve guessed the world could fall apart so quickly?”
 
Hi, I’m Andrew Green, a first-year AmeriCorps VISTA serving at Friends In Deed in Ypsilanti, and that was part of a story for a Dungeons & Dragons one-off I’m mulling over. You see, you’ve got to be very careful with what you joke about at Friends In Deed. I jokingly suggested we start an office-wide D&D campaign, and now, somehow, I’m expected to DM a session. Of course, this isn't at all part of my VISTA work. I mean, I’d have a pretty hard time figuring out where this could possibly fit under my VAD. But how can I pass up this golden opportunity to introduce more people to the joys of table-top roleplaying?
 
Now, I don't want to give you the impression that Friends In Deed is all fun and games. That's certainly not the case. It's been working in Washtenaw County for over thirty-five years to help people in crisis and operates three programs: furniture, direct assistance, and Circles—each striving to address a different element of poverty. But that doesn't mean we don't try to fit in some team-building.
 
Anyway, I know you guys didn’t come here to read about all that. You came for the “Tales of an IT Turf War.” Well, unfortunately, I was being just a tad bit dramatic when I wrote that title. You see, part of what I'm doing at Friends In Deed is helping them make decisions to improve their IT infrastructure. Sometimes that involves making recommendations, and sometimes those recommendations run counter to those suggested by their IT support. But has all this triggered an epic clash of egos between their IT and me? No, not at all. At the end of the day, we’re both just trying to do what’s best for Friends In Deed, so there isn’t much room for conflict. I'm sorry to have disappointed you.
 
On a more serious note, I've been learning a lot at Friends In Deed. Every day, I'm amazed by the determination of the staff and volunteers to improve the lives of the people of this community. They're unshakable. If only I could learn to produce even a fraction of their force of will in myself, then maybe Meridith wouldn't have to wait a week after it was due for me to send in my blog entry.