Ok, so those that know me know that I am about embark on something that truly means a lot to me. I will be participating in a program called City Year, and I will be doing so in my hometown of Washington, D.C. I feel soooo blessed to have been accepted into this program, and I feel like I will be taking a huge step in my "quest" (lol, such a cheesy word) to be a better person and give back to the community that guided me along to becoming the person that I am right now.
(BTW: If you are interested in giving back to the community, and I mean you feel as though you are not worth the space you take up if you do not give back in some way, check out cityyear.org. It's a challenge, but I can't think of many things that are more worth the effort.)
So, this kind of ties into my last post about being an "empath." I feel like I can't hear a sad story without being saddened, and other people's joy makes me really happy. This is one of the main reasons why I feel it is so important to participate in public service. I do not understand why people think that service is an optional thing. Most of us would not be in our positions in life if SOMEONE hadn't been on the lookout, even if it was family. How does someone become so self-absorbed and cold-hearted that they can hear about injustice and inequality happening in their neighborhoods and others, and not feel compelled to at least TRY to help out? It is a concept that I really do not understand.
I was lucky to get an extremely good education throughout my educational career. And I do not say that to pat myself on the back, or put myself above anyone. I know that there are people who had better educations than myself. Regardless, when I was younger, I was generally seen as an exception, and not a part of the rule. And even back then that struck me as harsh, if not completely unacceptable.
In my lifetime, I have come to think that education, if administered correctly, is in fact a "great equalizer." And I have decided to dedicate my life to lessening, if not complete eradicating the inequalities in education in the US as they stand right now. And I am taking a really big leap toward that with City Year.
I am SO excited to be moving back to the DC area and doing service that I can barely sit still. Hopefully everyone finds something that excites them so much, and they will use that to give back to their communities as well. What excites/motivates you?
