The Dog Lady Blog

I "met" Alison Thompson through Facebook, unaware that she had written a book about her experiences as a determined and proactive volunteer.  While at the public library, I stumbled upon it in the new releases section.  I have to say with complete conviction that this is an excellent book.  In this "in-the-trenches" detail of a life spent helping others we learn that our ability to do the same is only limited by our imagination.  Even in what we consider to be the worst of times in our own lives, there are always others in much more dire situations in need of a hug, a lift or a champion.

I was pulled in feet first from the very first page of "The Third Wave" by Alison Thompson and MeiMei Fox.  I truly could not put it down, even through some of the staggeringly brutal descriptions    of Miss Thompson's work as a totally immersed volunteer caused me pause--stuffing body parts into plastic bags and the odors of burning flesh negated with Chanel No.5 dabbed beneath her nose (page 7) was so surreal yet I found myself actually smelling her Chanel No.5.  However, none of  her experiences in this book are gratuitous or contrived.  Volunteerism is all about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly and in this book we ride along through it all, feeling safe beneath Alison Thompson's wings, experiencing the definition of altruism in it's simplest context.  We walk with her through fear, elation, determination, frustration and the resourcefulness achieved throughout.