Overall, my day was a great one. I was doing community service all day today with the Parks & Recreation Department of Cheyenne. As a team of about 20, we were responsible for assembling and stapling about 2,200 coupon booklets for this weekend's Goblin Walk that will take place in the community center. The coupon books will go in the goody bags of all the kids that attend along with scores of candy and treats. The contact at the site was very apprehensive because usually the task we were assigned to do is done weeks in advance so as not to create excess stress so close to the event, but due to other office work, it never got done. We were given from 9 - 3 to complete the task and in true Up with People fashion, we finished just before lunch; around noon. The contact was more than satisfied and expressed his gratitude and thanks for our service several times before we left. It's always good to leave a site with a sense of accomplishment and the feeling that your service is appreciated.
In the afternoon, we discussed eating disorders in an education workshop. We had a group of guests with us who put on a short production and then had a panel discussion with us about eating disorders and many of the issues that are related to them. Overall it was a very education and insightful two hours and really opened up my eyes to the scope of eating disorders and just how incredibly destructive they can be to one's life.
This evening was incredibly special for me because it reminded me that for every bad person in the world, there must be two or more waiting to do good. My host family for this week is far more compassionate then I could ever imagine anyone being to a person they've known only two days. This seems to be a recurring theme throughout my experience here in Up with People and if I could use just one word to describe how it feels to be treated so graciously by virtual strangers, I'd say it's uplifting. Ed & Linda seized tonight as the perfect opportunity to restore my faith in society and demonstrate that truly compassionate people do still exist in the world, by making me feel as at home as they possibly could on my 19th birthday. After dinner, Linda brought out the specially ordered cake complete with my name scribbled in blue letters and proceeded to adorn it with 19 candles. We did the usual birthday routine and ate the cake and afterwards, I was take completely by surprise when she presented me with a gift bag. I was beyond surprised because for someone to take me into their home for an entire week is an act of grace that I may never be able to fully comprehend. But to go a step further and have a cake and a mini part for me is even more unexpected, but still appreciated. For someone to take things yet a step further and show their gratitude by presenting me with a present after I'd been in their home for only two days it something that I never would have expected and certainly would never request from a group of people who have already done so much for me just in letting me sleep in their home and eat their food. Anyway, I opened the gift bag and was very pleasantly surprised to find "The End of Poverty" which is a book I've nearly bought on my last two trips to Barnes & Noble but for whatever reason decided not to. The bag also contained a gift card to B&N and chocolate, two of my favorite things! This surprise gift and significant display of generosity helped to make my first birthday away from home perhaps one of the most memorable.
I also heard from my lovely Salt Lake host family via email tonight, which was great! Pat, Rich, Emily, and the extended family were a fantastic group of people for me to get to meet and live with for three weeks and I'm eternally grateful for the things I learned from all of them, some a bit more valuable than others. Pat was the kind of woman who gave everything she believed in her 150% dedication and never lost sight of what truly makes us human. As a matter of fact, one of the many magnets around the house read "Stop me before I volunteer again!" and it was conveniently located at eye level on the refrigerator. She's also a pretty inspirational gal...she repeated several times that she believes "Service is the rent we pay for the space we take up on this planet." How insightful is that? Emily, on the other hand, taught me the value of a good education in the arts; the art of oatmeal launching, that is. If you aren't familiar with the concept, don't Google it, because you probably won't find the answer, Instead, search deep inside yourself and try to come up with an original explanation as to what oatmeal launching truly is. If you can't come up with anything, just wait until my next entry!
I say it every year when my birthday comes and I'll say it again, though this year it'll be on the record. It never ceases to amaze me how something so simple as a short message, phone call, or a few short words to say "Happy Birthday" can lift one's morale so much. I've always appreciated every single person who has ever taken the short amount of time to stop and wish me the best on this special day that only comes once a year, but much to my regret I lose sight of the importance of this very simple task during the duration of the year. More than anything, I'm thankful that I get the chance once a year to use my birthday as a reminder of how incredibly important one's simplest words, gestures, and actions can so positively affect another. This year, my resolution and promise to myself is that as of October 23rd, I will make every conscious effort to take note of the things I say and do that can affect the morale of others, both positively and negatively, over the course of the next 365 days until I am again given the opportunity to be reminded on this same day, just 52 weeks in the future.
The Salt Lake Family. Emily, Ryan, Pat, Rich, Katie and Quincy (L to R, B to F)
Ryan & Kelsey from California
Ryan & Daniela from Mexico
Did I mention I'm a professional cake cutter?
My lovely cake!
Anika really likes candles...must be a German thing.
Here's the cake before we ate it.
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