Volunteering?

Those commercials with the suffering animals kill me every single time.  Most of the time I am able to turn it off or at least mute it and avert my eyes but every once in a while I don't even realize that it's on until it's too late.  Sometimes, when I'm feeling particularly emotional I'll even break down in tears.  I truly do not understand how people can abandon and hurt innocent animals.  They are so sweet and are just looking for someone to care for them.  A part of me feels that it is more heinous to hurt an animal than a person.  An animal can't speak or manipulate or hurt but a person, even a victim can still hurt their tormentor.  

I've been thinking about where I would like to volunteer and I wouldn't mind working at a shelter of some sort.  However, I'm concerned about forming an attachment only to see the animal not get adopted and put down instead.   Of course, I'm not entirely sure what is required of someone who volunteers and I need to do much more research but this is one of my top three charities.   My top one is working with other victims of domestic violence and PTSD but that one scares me in a way and I don't know if I'm ready for it.  The second choice is with an animal shelter and my third choice is to do something that would help research for Alzheimer's Disease.  

It's a disease that scares me more than many others.  Really, any disease that can cause you to forget those you love, your memories, yourself is horrifying.  In the end, that's all we have, isn't it?  As they said in LOST, "Live together, Die alone."   Who are you if not a collection of your personal experiences? If you can't remember those experiences, influences, loved ones what do you have?  Not to mention how heart wrenching it would be for your family.  I honestly don't know what I'd do if my mother or father couldn't remember who I was or didn't recognize me.   I've been lucky to have never had to experience this but there are so many who do. 

So yeah, that post came out nowhere.