A blog post written by Kim Igleheart, a retired police officer, talented writer, and CareerVillage Super Volunteer

Creating Crocodiles Out Of Birds: Why You Should Answer Students’ Questions On CareerVillage.org

“In the tropical regions of Africa, the crocodile lies with its mouth open. The plover flies into its mouth and feeds on bits of decaying meat stuck in the crocodile’s teeth. The crocodile does not eat the plover. Instead, he appreciates the dental work. The plover eats a meal and the crocodile gets his teeth cleaned.” (1)

I have thought often about whether altruism is really just selfishness. Should I feel guilty because my primary motive is that altruism makes me feel good about myself? I remember once buying chocolate milk for a dispatcher who was having a bad day. I too was having a bad day, and her reaction, as anticipated, lifted my spirits. A little research quickly showed that I was not the first to contemplate this theory of altruism as selfishness, and, because I don’t consider myself a selfish person, I looked for other ideas. Taking the scientific approach, Abraham Maslow (2) identified it as reaching a “level of Self-Transcendence — to experience, unite with and serve that which is beyond the individual self: the unity of all being.” Not so sure that I have reached the peak of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, I explored symbiotic relationships, where I learned of mutualism. Mutualism is a relationship wherein both parties benefit and neither is harmed. I think this best describes why I am active on CareerVillage!

I am the mighty crocodile. The CareerVillage students are plovers. I was once a young plover.

While I clung to every word that came from my professors’ mouths, I was hesitant to visit the den of the crocodiles. Too embarrassed to admit to my professional peers how little I really knew, I struggled to try my wings, without ever asking for help. If only there had been an “Internet” back then! I would have stayed hidden safely away, asking my “stupid” questions from behind a mask of anonymity. Instead, I tried to make it on my own. Eventually, I learned to discuss life experiences with my co-workers, family, and friends. Absorbing their words of wisdom, and through much trial and error, I soared safely into adulthood. I first noticed how much I liked helping others early in my career as a police officer. Working traffic control at the airport, I encountered a college student facing a dilemma. Her school group was traveling abroad to conduct research, but the equipment they needed was in one of her suitcases, which, she had forgotten to load into the car. Embarrassed to have made such a mistake, she had mixed feelings as to how to proceed. Should she retrieve the bag and miss the flight, or trust that others would take care of it for her? I explained that this small crisis would help to prepare her for life’s future hurdles, which she could not even begin to imagine, and she calmly boarded the flight with the class.

CareerVillage fills a void in my life. It gives me the opportunity to continue reaching out to teens and young adults, to help guide them through this tumultuous transitional period of their lives. Due to other commitments, I cannot donate blocks of time to regularly scheduled volunteer activities.

However, with CareerVillage, I can sit down at the keyboard for as little as 15 minutes and instantly reach three or four students. I can do this at any time, on any day, whenever it suits me, as often or as seldom as I like.

It is a nice “mental break” when working on other projects. And because the questions are searchable, there is no limit as to how many students I will ultimately reach with each response. My goal is to turn plovers into crocodiles, who will themselves become learned sages dispensing kernels of knowledge to fledgling plovers. And, when students respond to my input with comments such as — “Thanks for this answer! It was exactly what I wanted to know! Very helpful!” — I know I am doing exactly that.

1 FactMonster 2 Maslow’s theory is that humans have various levels of motivation, and they cannot move on to the next level until they have satisfied the needs of the current level. In order, these are (1) basic/physiological needs, (2) safety, (3) love/belonging, (4) esteem, (5) self-actualization, and (6) self-transcendence.