As Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a person of success. Rather become aperson of value.” Thumbing through social media you sit back and watch as people are trying tobe or portray somebody that they aren’t. These people want all of the likes, but does thatcorrelate with respect? Does that line up with value?
In a world where people love the things they buy and use the people in their lives, sometimes the most happiest of people are the ones that have nothing. Perhaps they are the people who gave live all they had just to return backwith nothing, not even the basic necessities of life such as shelter!!
There are over 50,000 homeless veterans in America. Each with 50,000 different stories that lead them to the lives that they currently live today. People would walk on the streets anddismiss that fact that some of the battles that had resulted in our nations freedom could havebeen fought by these veterans, and we don't even give them a second of our time. When giventhe opportunity to be able to put together a bag I thought about how easy and simply it was todo this, yet once I put the bag together I realized that this simply act that I was doing that costme nothing, would mean so much to someone like a homeless veteran.!!
Going through the aisles in Walmart my first thought was that I was going to purchase thecheapest things, however as I looked my cart I notices the value of my product was nothing incomparison to the value of their sacrifice. I placed back the cheap razors and replaces it with amore durable on that cost me twice as much, yet even though my bank account isn't prime, itfelt right thinking about someone else and what they would like instead of myself. I returned the flimsy slippers and replaced it one that will actually survive a walk to a car without tearing apart.
Suddenly my moral compass was shifted to joy, and went an extra step. Even though the veterans would take this as something big, I decided to color coordinate everything to Navyblue, that way if they are ever with someone else they know what color all of their things are,format he pillow case to the slippers. Which ever Veteran that receives my color coordinated bag will walk in simple style.!!I also had to take into consideration that my bag wouldn't be better or ‘too much’ incomparison to everyones else's so its not like I got them a Vera Wang razor, but just a goodaffordable pieces.
Even though I wish to be able to personally give the bag to the veteran sothat I could hear more about his life instead of just handing them out some things. Ive alwaysmade an effort to give back to the world so it hadn't had much of an educational wisdom, simplybecause I didn't experience much, only shopping. But I hope the impact that my bag would haveon the veteran would be a slight one that makes his life a little more comfortable, because Iknow that if I was in the same unimaginable position as them then I would filled with joy to receive the gift. I do greatly appreciate having the opportunity to be able to volunteer more to help out with Veterans and I wouldn't be able to do that without the option and availability that the my teacher forced you to acknowledge. Sometimes you need to have an option following you for a whole semester to finally take it into consideration.!!Thank you for such a great class!
