Humanitarian work Kudos
The driver I mentioned in my previous entry was pleased to hear that I was in Peru to do humanitarian work. (It took a lot of Spanglish and improvised sign language to explain it to him!)
I've prepared myself not to be thanked for that, per rachaelbrennan's experience in Botswana, but it does feel really good when people say something positive. A medical specialist in San Francisco knocked half off his fee when I told him about it. paisleychick and kragen's tenant seemed a lot more interested in hanging out after she got word.
I'm pretty sure that this is the first time in my life were getting kudos for something I do just feels good. I'm not worried about the expectations it brings on. I don't worry about people thinking less of me if they find out there's also some partial benefit for me-I'm not sure if there is in this case, apart from the travel, but I routinely feel that way when other do-gooder action is acknowledged. I'm not worried that anybody is going to think they owe me, or that they think I think they owe me. And I'm not worried about people giving me a hard time because they think I'm making them look bad. I just feel like I'm doing a good thing, and that people recognise and appreciate it. I haven't even started yet, but I'm already feeling better about it than at any job I've had in over a decade.