Dripping Life, Jan 24

One of our most precious commodities these days is time…and it seems there’s always something – a friend’s birthday, dental appointment, a date to meet the plumber/AC/dishwasher repair person—that slips into that empty time slot at the last minute.

Raising kids means volunteering, which is often a challenge, especially for working parents. I remember when my parents volunteered when I was growing up. How proud I was, having my parents involved – at the school carnival, during Texas Education Week, in the worship service or VBS or even as chaperones on our youth group’s hayrides. Little did I know, had it not been for me, they may have had time for more enjoyable activities. 

Like most parents, we volunteered anywhere our youngsters went. I was a room mother, and that was during the time kids could eat anything and weren’t allergic to anything (at least anything we knew about). It also was before kids took yogurt, juice boxes or fruit roll-ups in their school lunch boxes (now called bento boxes, I think).

Unfortunately, when kids go off to college, parental volunteers are no longer needed…but that leaves time for a whole world of volunteer opportunities in the community, no matter your age or interests.

My friend Judy, for example, works with a group at her church that provides weekly bible study at a local senior community. Another friend volunteers at the community library and one of our neighbors is always working on projects for his Sunday School group. It’s almost a full-time job, even though he retired five years ago.

As a newly-minted widow relocating to a new community, one of my initial challenges was find a place where I could fit in…and my first opportunity came on KLRU’s community advisory board (CAB for short). I had been a supporter of our local Public Television Station since my oldest son was Sesame Street age, and continued through Electric Company, Mr. Rogers, Arthur, and the list goes on. Needless to say, volunteering at KLRU was a natural fit. 

I attribute my children’s academic success to the school readiness programs PBS has continued to offer as well as the supplemental educational programs, not to mention the hours our family has spent, enjoying Austin City Limits, Ken Burns’ histories, “Antiques Roadshow,” and who can forget “Masterpiece,” from “Jeeves and Wooster,” “Upstairs, Downstairs,” and “I, Claudius.” And who can forget “Downton Abbey.”

But there is much new at KLRU, which is why your KLRU Neighbors are coming to Dripping Springs, Sunday – February 10th at Sky Cinema (166 Hargraves Dr. in Belterra Village), beginning at 3 p.m. Come and enjoy plenty of music from the PBS station that brings you (and the rest of the country) Austin City Limits, a free screening of the new documentary, “A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story,” along with a panel discussion. 

There will be activities for the kids, including a visit with Clifford, the Big Red Dog, tickets to Austin City Limits concerts, Austin City Limits and KLRU swag, free food and drinks – well, it’s all free and open to the public.

So mark your calendars – Feb. 10th is a Sunday afternoon -- and meet your neighbors from KLRU. Enjoy live music, free food, sample some beverages on the Sky Cinema’s patio, visit with the folks responsible for KLRU and preview the coming year of concerts and programs. It’s all free and fun for the whole family.