I started volunteering at nursing homes and assisted living homes after a melodramatic break up when I got tired of wallowing in my own self-pity. My intentions weren’t 100% altruistic -- I mostly just needed a distraction and a place to be other than at home, sulking. Somehow, I figured the best way to approach my depression was to visit a place that would be ten times more depressing: an old folks' home. A few…