My name is Susan Marsh, and I own a small home-based business called Susan's Bookkeeping and Accounting Services. Early in 2016, I joined the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club for a variety of reasons, but these were my primary drivers:
1. I HATE polio. My sister was born with polio (yes, BORN with it!). The doctors believed my mother contracted polio in her third month of pregnancy and the disease afflicted my sister instead of my mother. Because of this, I witnessed the devastating effects this horrible affliction had on my sister, two other children in the neighborhood, and the respective families. I’ll never forget the suffering they all endured, and am reminded of the pain to this day every time I see her.
2. I want to give back. I want to help members of the community who are less fortunate than I am. As an international organization that is not connected to any government body, Rotary provides me with the perfect opportunity to do something for those in need. Because Rotary’s involved in a wide range of issues, from water to education, housing to healthcare, I find structure within which to work, am able to maximize my own resources, and am able to eliminate the frustration that comes from having to sort through thousands of worthy causes.
3. I want to keep my brain sharp. This club has 65 of the top minds in North County coming together on a regular basis, and the very fact that we’re in the same room together working side-by-side, telling jokes and stories, and commiserating over problems, keeps us all at the top of our game. I’d be hard-pressed to duplicate the experiences I get from this club anywhere else.
4. I love the camaraderie. Rotary is all about Service Above Self, and my membership means I’m surrounded by a group of people with the same focus that I have. In a time when so many people in the world are self-centered, I find the friendships I’m developing help keep me centered and remind me of what’s REALLY important in the world.
Perhaps the thing I like most about Rotary is the ability to work with people who don’t care about my religion, race, or politics. We’re all friends, we’re all Rotarians, and we’re all trying to improve the world.