~Equilibrium Equality~ Not Just a Myth but a Principle!

The Stanford student is hoping his grandchildren can come out with the same, or something close to, experience he had when servicing. In a broader aspect, this goal is respectable. He wishes most people would be allowed that same mentality, however, I see this as a set back towards trying to eliminate the problem. The “”efforts at a long-term change,” seem to be centered around eliminating problems 50+ years down the road. What I think society has a misconception to begin with is the bureaucracy of the situation; standing up now, encouraging others too also, will lead to quicker results, if not immediate.
This ideal principle that people have the option to do service, have the drive to participate and help, now everyone knows of it, let alone cares enough to even try it out, yet we plan for this big change to happen down the road that can miraculously quash all these problems. No one thinks of the implications of the little things, these small ripples we create, and how, if just a bit more effort was spent, dramatic alterations to our future, or the path we are walking now, would change.
If we could give, and I mean to set up a democratic situation where volunteering, aiding your community, or even just spending time with your family was a necessary and easily obtainable option, I think the means to justify ourselves to help one another would be so close it would hit us in the face. The problem with this thinking is people don’t want to give up their hard-earned work schedules to make less money to struggle and worry about bills getting paid, put food on the table, or the simple commodities like taking a vacation every now and then so they can help others. I know the mentality is kind of harsh, but human beings are greedy. We are a race so infatuated with our own mental capacity that we profit off the ideas and advancements of one another. In my opinion, not too much will change in the near future because of these “needs” and wants of people in all levels of society. We have already doomed ourselves for failure.
Hypothetically, and this has to be “out-of-the-box” thoughts, making greed a primary factor which caused this to happen, my theory is nothing can change with the rise and decline of a lower, middle, and upper class of people. This statement basically says that the ideologies of the poor, the middle, or upper classes we have, ourselves, brought into being, are the crucial linchpin of our demise. Our benevolence is meaningless in the end when a majority of the world is fighting to survive. If change were ever to happen, and it can, the implications and applications would have to me monumental. Our very existence would have to rely on a form of replenishable resource, or sociological advancement that could be a turning point in human evolution. What I am saying is we would eliminate the middle man for marketing foods, energy, or housing, and focus on the knowledge of the world, pushing past anything we currently have and propelling ourselves into the fountain of growth as a species who has surpassed all others.
Broad I know, but you see where I am going with this that the world would need to experience a calamity at catastrophic levels to create the equilibrium point of human compatibility. This is a very high hope, but at the rate we progress, thinking economically, population growth, and the general “well-being” of others, our time of relative cleanliness is going to plummet into a toxic wasteland of our own doing. We are killing our fuel, our home, our principles as human beings and in-turn, will end up dropping off the very chain of existence before this change can happen that will turn us into a newer aspect of life.
Spiritual Involvement to our fellow man is what we need to fight for. And repeat after me!... "OOOOOhhhMMMMMMMMM"


-Sorry I am morbid in my thoughts, I just “calls it like I sees it” lol.
--Jeremy

Chapter 8: Village Politics

This chapter deals explicitly with tension between volunteerism and advocacy, which weaves throughout the book. Our culture encourages students to be volunteers. The harder challenge is for them to address the roots of issues that come up while they're volunteering for those kinds of excellent groups.

The chapter also addresses the relationship between one-on-one volunteer work and efforts at long-term change. What is the lesson in the story where the Stanford student says he hopes his grandchildren will get to volunteer in the same homeless shelter as he has? What would it take to create a society where people didn't have to sleep in shelters or in the streets? Do you think we could make this happen by the time your grandchildren come along?

Stories

I think that stories that are shared to you by others that have experienced what they speak of are very inspirational. I know that whenever my family would talk about stories they always had my attention. Each story had its own lesson, it had what each individual overcame and how the conquered their fear. The one person i could sit and listen share stories forever is my Grandpa's. Their stories give me so much information about back then and the struggles and now the ways to live life. If i ever have any questions they have an answer, and to me i cherish that gift, the gift that both of my Grandpa's have been through so much that they could share life lessons with their grandson.
To be honest, most of the stories i share are from the stories I've heard before. But it's not rumors or anything like that, but actual stories. If i could share any story it would be about the first time i volunteered and helped out my community. I didn't know how helping could make you feel when you actually performed the service. I believe that when i started volunteering my time for my community, that i began to mature to my highest potential, which works for me!!!!!

Listening Gives Us The Truth

I think that being able to listen to others stories is very important. Many times we go through life talking and thinking about what it is we are going to say next. If we could only step back and see how many fascinating stories others could tell i think our world would have a better understanding of each other.

I totally agree with the authors statement about how we can learn more about the world if we would listen to other peoples stories. I think that we listen to much to what the media has to say and portray about different cultures, that we do not listen to the people who are actually living the story. We tend to not listen to these people when they are the most important. They live with the issue everyday and know their culture the best so what if they were the ones that spoke to their own issues and not politicians who do not live the real story.

As far as a book that describes me I'd honestly have to say that I have no story that I can say relates to me or has given me the path that I have followed. I have listened to other peoples stories. Through being an athlete and my involvement with other things I have been able to listen to so many inspiring stories that have brought me the point where I am today. There are so many different people in this world who can give you a real outlook on life. So listening to others can be a big benefit for people to become not only inspired but educated from the people around them.

my thoughts...

I believe that he is trying to say, we personally can only experience just so much and go through only a small number of events. So, by listening to others stories, we can learn even more. We all need to listen to our peers and relive some of their experiences with them. Us, by ourselves, we cannot learn all there is to know, but we can learn more from others!

I believe my biggest experience that changed my views on community involvement occurred only about a year ago. I have always been somewhat involved in my community and I always did a little community service here and there. However, about a year ago I was asked to take a tour of a small school that was for underprivileged children. Of course, me being the kid lover that I am, I was extremely excited for the tour. But, when I walked through the gates of the school, I immediately fell in love! All of the kids came over and said hi with the biggest smile on their faces and I could see how much they enjoyed people visiting and coming to see them. Needless to say, I was back the next day as a school volunteer and I am still currently volunteering there and love every minute of it.

a good story never dies

There is so much a story can tell you. It can create a world of magic and fantasy. It can also open one’s eyes to things never thought possible. The author really makes a great job at presenting a vast amount of inspirational stories made by every day people. It’s very important to notice that any story told is only successful if it’s listened. Our world’s history is made up of stories that have been recorded since the early days for anyone to view. But in order for these stories to be successful, they have to be heard, seen, or read. One must listen to any story that is presented us. Any story can ignite one’s interest and understanding. Even if the story doesn’t impact us directly, it might impact a person close to us. That’s why every story must be heard and understood. By doing this, one can learn the answers to so many questions. I believe that every life is a story. This story is made up of thousands of other stories that describe a person’s life. I don’t think I have a story that would sum up my own life because my story is still on the making and I still have lots of stories to listen and experience. Hopefully my story and the stories of those around me have a great ending because a good story never dies.

I thought I had it all figured out...

A wise person can learn from other peoples stories, however most of us choose to create our own. As a child my father always used to tell me I was rushing my life. I disagreed and thought I knew it all from the young age of fifteen. At that time I believed I had it all figured out and could determine my own fate. The truth is the older I get the more I realize I didn't really know anything. I have always had to try things for myself, often times I would fail. Sometimes I wish I would have listened to other peoples mistakes instead of repeating them. I am now aware of the importance of listening to others stories and learning lessons through them.

My life has been amazing. Full of ups and downs. I have experienced more things than the average person twice my age. I joke and say my life this far would have made a great soap opera. I look forward to listening to others stories and telling my own.

The Worth of Another's Tale

Stories have a value that is outside of any means of measuring that we know. The effect that one's tale can impose on others is beyond limitations. In just a matter of emotions and words, we can effectively accomplish great feats of previously assumed impossibilities, motivating others on the common grounds that we are all human and therefore linked. Some stories can be about great accomplishments, filled with happiness and joy that are used to lift spirits and offer encouragement. Other stories are those of extreme pressures that move to break our spirits and strip us of whom we are. Such stories often affect the listeners in stronger ways than many other forms of testimony as somewhere inside all humans is a part of us that wishes for a good life for all of us. I believe that this innate desire for a justice lies in all of us, regardless of how deeply it may or may not be hidden. Loeb touches on this when he writes about "the recognition that our fates are fundamentally linked to other people...our choices do change the world." For some, they may never even realize that they harbored such strong, passionate feelings for others they've never thought a second about until they come to here the stories of these strangers, of those in sufferings. But when that is awoken inside of any individual, that God given love for humanity, then that individual's life is undeniably changed, and I believe that that change is for the better. So share your stories! They do you well to tell them and who knows what effects they might have on the listeners!

Two Lives

“Other people’s stories can expand our view of the world.” The only stories that you truly know are the ones that you have lived through. These are things that just happen in your world, the things that you are used to. But when listening to others it shows you that that person may have a completely different world than you are used to. When listening to those different stories you can see the different experiences that an individual might have had. It’s important to listen to them because without other peoples stories, how would you know about anything else besides what goes on in your own life.

When it comes to my life stories, there aren’t too many since I’m still young. But the one that I think could probably sum up my life is that since the beginning of high school I basically have had 2 different lives. I decided at the beginning of freshman year that I wanted to move back to Iowa to live with my dad. It was a great experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world. But after a year I moved back to Arizona. This was the start to me having one set of small town country friends and family, who are in my home town, to a completely different set of city born and raised here in Arizona. It doesn’t sound like that big of a thing, but to me it has actually taught me a lot in a way and has set me to be who I am today.

Week 3 Blog Post

We have been told stories and parables throughout our lives that teach of experiences of other people's failures and successes to help guide us onto a straighter path. Loeb writes "other people's stories can expand our view of the world" to help broaden our experiences by hearing how the other people have conducted their lives.

I feel Loeb is wanting us to do our research, sorta like my fellow environmentalist Steph's blog title, but also celebrate in the successes through social involvement and the outcomes it brings. Hearing someone's story about how they acted in a similar situation can help to improve your chance of success, Ghandi used nonviolence to bring the people of South Africa their civil rights, and fifty years later MLK armed his movement with the same principles that he learned from Ghandi to achieve civil rights to all Americans. Beyond the hearing of methods people used for success, I agree with Feven when she wrote "stories change lives and motivate people to get involved." People can use the inspiration that comes with a success story to get involved in their own community. Like Loeb's story of Virginia Ramirez who led her community in getting her community's repair funds back after her elderly neighbor died from the cold.

In my own life, I don't tell stories about my experiences, I am 19 and the hardships of life haven't really hit me yet. I have experienced more than most 19 year oldsand have had a better view of involvement than a lot of other people my age, but as for a story that would motivate and inspire people to get socially invovled, I don't have one, just haven't lived long enough yet. Stories that shape my view of social/political involvement are from my dad, or other people I know. Mostly standing firm and asking hard questions, not neccesarily to others, but making sure that you have a firm grasp on why you believe what you believe. I am taking this SLICE calss for exactly that purpose.

Knowledge is Power

"Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words." Ralph Waldo Emerson

In order to change it is crucial to hear the stories of others. On a global level, all races, religions, and cultures have been pursecuted by the powers of that era. Hearing each other's stories is the first step to acknowledging a problem and is the beginning of creating ways to change. The world is more connected now than ever before and we hear each other's stories of struggle and suffering faster than any other time in history. Knowing what is going on allows people to act, and once suffering is heard of the time for relief soon follows.

One frustration I think many of us have when we hear another's story of struggle or suffering is that relief and healing doesn't seem to happen fast enough. There are often political or legal setbacks that prevent us from providing immediate relief to suffering. Or sometimes changing someone's life takes years because it took years to get to where they are in the first place. I think as people who want to reach out and help others, we have to understand that often times helping others takes time. It is a long process that Loeb repeats in his stories over and over again.

I firmly believe that there is true power in just acknowledging another person's struggle. Injustice thrives on secrecy and ignorance. When we ignore abuse we allow it to happen more and more frequently until we accept it as normal. By listening to each other's stories we have the power to remind each other of our humanity. We get to remind each other that we all deserve to live with dignity, compassion, and equality, and when that is treatened we need to act.

I can be YouTube cool too..

Other people can open our eyes and make us realize our previous ignorance. Even if we're fine, the world is still suffering and you can be part of the solution. We can be one more good thing to counteract all of the evil and suffering that we know exists. Sometimes we feel content with the world around us but as we involve ourselves more in this society we live in, we realize there is more than the little bubble we float through life in. Sometimes it's quite shocking to hear something you wouldn't expect to hear out of peoples mouths. Things we couldn't imagine happening to us or sometimes, even the people who were affected. I've seen hope come out of other peoples success stories. Like AA and self help groups, people gain hope when they've heard from someone else who once wore the same shoes. Even if "nothing bad" had ever happened to us, people's stories still make us realize that it's happening to somebody and that we could be the one that pulls them through their trial.

I can't quite grasp how one story in my life could summarize me as a person.. It just doesn't make sense. Someone referenced to Shrek in a previous blog and how he was talking to Donkey about onion layers and relating them to Ogres. Well, that's how life is; one piece at a time. Thousands and thousands of everyday events, occurrences, people and encounters shape me. I didn't just go to a swap meet one day and buy a soul... Though, I have certainly been influenced by my upbringing. I have made conscious decisions in my life of the kind of person I would be and the kind of person I couldn't. It seems a little disheartening to say that someone I care about in my life would also be an example to me of someone I wouldn't want to be, but that's part of my life. I still care about some of these "bad examples" in my life but I don't let them influence me. I've already decided. I grew up, I would consider, in a community within a community. I've grown up knowing that somebody would always be there to help for anything. Throughout my life I can recall many occurrences where I would go with my mom and babysit when parents had to work or just needed time to themselves. Someone from church was always there to help. When my mother was sick for a while and had to be hospitalized, I was still surprised but sort of relieved when every night for at least a week there was dinner delivered to us. We didn't even ask. They just knew we would appreciate it. These things have strengthened my faith on helping those who need it. Through my church, I've always been pushed towards being more involved. I've been to many park/ street cleanups without realizing anything out of the ordinary, like that normal people didn't go clean parks just because. I think my mindset has been sort of molded like that. If someone asks me to do something, I'll try and do it even if I really don't want to because I try not to seem too selfish. Often I don't even realize that I have a choice in the matter, I'm just go "okay...". Sometimes it scares me to death but it really helps when I have guidance. (I'm going to stop now. I feel like I'm just blogging blogging and not focusing)

being open to learning

"If we attempt to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening own self-understanding, our own freedom, integrity, and capacity to love, we will no have anything to give others. We will communicate nothing but our own obsessions, our aggressiveness, our ego-centered ambitions."

This quote really means a lot to me. I think it really sums up a lot of the principles this book wants to teach. It warns that if we go into this selfless journey with selfish ambitions, we would be disabling ourselves from fulfilling the true purpose of our mission, to help others. We should all go into this with an open heart and mind to learning and growing. One of my friends said something a while ago that really ties into this; "Don't say you have everything figured out, or you will have no fun in your life." In my own experience, I can say this is so true. One of my best friends through high school thought he had everything figured out. We spent a lot of time together and got to know each other on a deep level. Throughout all the adventures and challenges we faced through high school, I got to see how he handled a broad multitude of situations. Something that got on my nerves about him was that basically any unknown situation we would be going into or all of a sudden find ourselves in, he had this mindset that he was an expert in the field. For a while I perceived his mindset as confidence, which I was drawn to be around at the time. As we experienced more together, I came to understand that this was his downfall. He virtually closed himself to the very things that would benefit him the most such as deepening his understanding of himself, broadening his capacity to love, and sharpening his integrity. He embodied the very essence of the first quote. When he felt uncomfortable in a situation he would shut himself off by acting like an expert in the area, therefore disabling himself from growing and of course he could help others. It seemed like the more I grew, the more he felt lost and empty.

I wish he could have read this book before high school, it probably would have changed his life.

I urge you all to take this quote to heart as we embark on this adventure.

Escuchar

Reading the book, "Soul of a Citizen", we are all reading other people's stories. We are broadening our knowledge of how other people accomplished their goals and brought about new changes. I believe that if we do listen to other people and we learn from people's mistakes and their progress, we are able to advance farther in our own goals and aspirations. I believe it also gives us courage to start our own journeys. Living in a world of individualism, we think that everything is put onto our own shoulders, it can at times be stressful and intimidating. However, when we learn of other people's adventures and listen to how they overcame their obstacles, we can tell ourselves that we CAN do it.

Lyndsey (escuchar=to listen)

Story Time!

Stories ignite inspiration in my life. When I watch a movie, read a book, or hear first-hand the stories of exceptional people that have made great differences in our world, it gives me the hope and drive to do the same.

I love adventure and experience. I have so many things that I want to do with my life, but I know that realistically one can only do so much in a lifetime. This is where other's experiences step in. We can learn and grow not only by what we do personally, but also by what others have accomplished.

We have sympathy and sometimes even empathy for those who share stories of personal struggles. Without these stories, we may remain blind to certain injustices that do not affect us directly. Most do not look to fix the wrong in the world until the wrong hurts us or the ones we love. Unfortunately, its either our own experience or the hurt we feel from other's experiences/stories that light a fire in our hearts to get up and do something about it!

As far as my own stories, I have plenty, all of which have shaped who I am today. I find it interesting that although we all love hearing stories and know the impact they can bring; we find it difficult to share our own experiences. We do not want people to hurt for us, although the hurt may be beneficial.

In the past few years, I have seen the impact of community involvement and am grateful for the love and care family, friends, and even strangers have shown in times of need. In January 2008, my grandpa was fixing a roof for a friend, fell off a ladder and landed on a pile of wood. He was rushed to the hospital, but told that nothing was seriously injured and was sent home the same night. He woke up that night in excruciating pain unable to move his legs. My grandpa had fractured three vertebrae in his spine and because the hospital failed to treat it right away, he is now paralyzed.
Neither of my grandparents finished high school, and have therefore worked very hard for little money there entire lives. Their main source of income came from my grandpa working on odd jobs around their small town. With my grandpa no longer being able to work and the outrageous amounts of bills from hospitals, specialists, etc. my grandparents were falling deeper and deeper into debt. To add to the mess, my grandparent's home was not handicap accessible and needed great amounts of remodeling; and they also had no vehicle that could transport my grandpa in a wheelchair. With the help of mine and my uncle's family, the people of small town Sweet Home, Oregon put together a fund for my grandparents, had an electric wheelchair donated for my grandpa, and remodeling my grandparents house so Papa Al could live there. A lawyer from their town even donated her services to file a lawsuit against the hospital, and a man in town offered to share his van to transport my grandpa back and forth from doctor's appointments. Without community involvement, mine and my uncle's family could not have supported my grandparents alone. This experience made a great impact in not only my grandparent's lives but also made me realize the effect we can have in our community. We need each other.

The only failure is quitting

"We never know how the impact of our actions may ripple out. We never know who may be touched. That's one more reason why, although the fruits of our labors can't always be seen, they matter immensely."

This quote reminded me a lot about our class last Friday, I know Enrique has said many times that serving your community could be something as simple as holding open a door for a little old lady. Now although to us, holding open the door is something that may not seem to be a big deal, maybe a common courtesy at best, but it can make all the difference in the world to that little old lady or to someone who witnessed a youth taking a moment out of their day to hold open a door. I mean that act should practiced so common that it would be considered standard but time after time when I find myself holding doors open for people I would say that roughly about 20-40% of the people I hold the door open for do not even acknowledge my existence and just casually walk through without even making eye contact or thanks or anything!!!

Stories my __________ told me!

Dr. Gordy Klatt was a Tacoma colorectal surgeon in Tacoma Washington. On May 1985, to raise money as part of his support to the American Cancer Society, he decided to walk the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for 24 hours. In the 24hour walk, he circled the track for 84 miles and managed to raise $27,000. Today, relay for life is held across the United States and in some parts of the world. this we do today as we hear the stories of cancer patients and Dr. Klatt.

Listening to other peoples stories bring to perspective what is going on around us in the world. We usually tend to focus on things around us as we go on in life and even if we hear about it on the radio or television, it never gets home until we get to talk someone who has actually experienced it and talk to us about it and then it hits home. Listening to other peoples stories has gone on to encourage us to do great things. Jenny did not start relaying until she had her friends story about her fight with cancer, then she decided to start relaying. Hearing other peoples stories bring things and perspectives and gives us the urge to act on whatever it is that we can do. The story of Nelson Mandela encouraged many across the world to stand up for what they believed. the story of Christopher Reeves encouraged many to believe that they could overcome whatever problem they face.
By partaking and talking about your stories you could spur numerous people into action.

Aesop’s Fables

I believe stories have a special power within themselves because these can teach us valuable lessons that we might never learn from our own limited personal experiences. These stories can be from different places and these can make us think, reflect and understand others. Stories can take us to different times, and situations and therefore, I think in order to take something positive from these, one must not only listen but also, one must learn from it.

Stories can also explain concepts that could be hard to comprehend. For example, a concept that seems very abstract to me because I have never personally seen or experienced something similar to that magnitude is segregation. Reading different stories of people that lived through it and also listening songs about it not only made me understand in profundity their daily lives but also, it made me become more appreciative of all the hard work of leaders that fought against this injustice. (A song that really helped me understand the life of people during that time is Mountains O’ things of Tracy Chapman)

I remember that when I was child, my classmates and I used to get reading assignments of the great Aesop’s Fables. This fables or stories did teach us different moral and ethical values and I’m glad that I was able to learn from them when little because now as I grow up, I can start using what I have learned in my daily life. If only more people could learn since little to really listen stories, probably we could promote more compassion and solidarity in our society.

A story that I have already shared on my last blog is an example of one of the stories of my own life helped me become aware of the necessity of people to become involved in society. If more people could only listen clearly the message of the different stories not only we could become more sensible about the lives of others but also, we could help change the way things are in order to have a better world.

Alexa

expanding

When listening to stories from other people, the way the tell the story and paint the picture shows what the person is like. I have always been a person who loves stories, and critiquing them afterwords is also as fun :). Now when it comes to expanding our mind from there stories, you have to look at the story as you being there your self. When some one tells me a story i bring myself their and try and imagine what i would be experiencing. That helps expand myself and my understanding more. Though it will not make up for actual life experiences and getting outside to do it yourself, it is a way of staying out of the dark.

Responsibilty is something we must earn, not a right we are born with.

When we listen, and I mean truly listen, we get a sense of the feeling, the emotion, or even just the moral of their stories. I know that I personally love to hear people’s stories. I think it is a wonderful thing to experience someone else’s take on a situation. What may have happened to you could have been something monumental to someone else. I think that in a small way, we as a people have the general life events that set us apart from one another. How someone grew up in a small town, versus someone in a city, or a child with one parent, versus having both, make the difference in our individual character. We only see the small part of the world from our backyards, yet some people are content with that being enough. I think it’s impossible to believe that just because you live in the era of the internet, we still aren’t as connected as we should be. It doesn’t take much to listen when someone has something to say, yet we close off our views of the world just as easily as we begin to grow.
I have many, many stories in my repertoire that could sum up my life, or tell why I am who I am. For instance, I was in lifeguard training three years ago if I am not mistaken, I have never explained to people why I never joined a pool as a lifeguard once I got my certificate. My Mom would get so pissed that I had spent the money and the time to get the training, let alone the gas to get to Tempe from Queen Creek and I wouldn’t go get a job at the pool. I never told her, or anyone for that matter, that I had already had an experience with my training.
I used to swim competitively for my school and for a program outside of school in the off season. I got my training, I think it was junior year about this time, and was finished after three weeks. I helped my school team swim coach, who was also the coach of the off-season program, teach/coach the younger kids in their swim lessons. One day, not during a practice, it was just a few of us at the pool. Quite literally 3-4. There was a small kid there with us too, I cant remember his name, but since it was the off-season, and we were renting the pool, there were no lifeguards and we had free reign. The coach wasn’t there and we all jumped in the pool. We get a call later saying she is late, something came up, practice is canceled. Everyone else leaves, except I stay with this kid in the pool messing around because he says his Mom won’t be there till practice was supposed to end. Its scary to think that the impossible happened, but he was in the pool when I was doing laps, and started choking I guess. By the time I noticed it, we was face down in the water, not moving. I though it was a joke. I was wrong.
The lifeguard that worked there, and basically just opened the pool, sat in an office, and wasn’t watching us obviously. I did everything by the books. I swam to him, probably faster than I think I ever went before, and did the proper rescue in-case he hurt himself. I got him on the pool deck, performed the CPR and got him to breathe again, luckily it was him just barely into drowning. I don’t think I was ever any more scared or relieved in my life. The kid literally almost died while I was there. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have done my swimming with him in the pool. I know in the end it was my problem, and I then had to explain to his mom what happened. The kid was fine, she was more relieved that I was able to know how to save him. He wasn’t hurt, and didn’t have to go to the hospital and only for the reason that I did each and every procedure perfect (I know this because the other lifeguard was an EMT and checked him out for me, not guesswork lol). He could have died. That thought has always stuck with me. That is also why I didn’t want to become a lifeguard. Just watching one kid in a pool was hard enough, but being responsible for kids who didn’t know how to swim, or adults who couldn’t either, no thank you. I am not proud of what I did, nor have I let it go as just an accident, but I realized that if I am going to do something life-changing, to be proactive in our society, I wanted to be more responsible. I wanted to know, without a doubt that I could be the one people could rely on, or be the one people could trust before I tried again. I know I am gaining more responsibility daily, slowly becoming more and more bogged down with life events, but they are making me better. With full certainty, I can handle anything that comes at me now, but knowing just a little more today, will help me tomorrow, for that I am glad I can now call myself “responsible.”
-Jeremy

A dose of reality

As Loeb discusses how people are affected by the stories that they hear, he addresses the point that those experiences cause the people they were told to to reevaluate their lives and the world surrounding them. The stories people relay touch every person in a different way, but the result is always the same. Whether the story can be related to on a personal level or just through empathy, it brings out the aspect of vulnerability that all people have. Maybe because we are so accustomed to not sharing our personal trials with anyone it is that we know not how vulnerable we truly are.

Hearing and sharing in other peoples struggles or triumphs helps us to grow and seek involvement within society to better ourselves and the lives of others. One quote I appreciated the most was "As our religious traditions point out , our very pain, vulnerability, and suffering can actually bring us closer to God by opening us up to compassion." The stories that people share allow them to show that they are vulnerable and that gives us the opportunity to display our compassion.

Importance

Loeb's quote speaks only truth. How would anyone gain any knowledge without being told a story. Humanity learns through stories, but sometimes they are not so obvious. Everyday we go to class we are being told a story. It may be a traditional story told in history class, or it could be a story in a science, just told in more technical terms. Other important stories come from a moral standing outside the classroom. Moral stories teach us from right and wrong, which is the most important story of all. It teaches us to care, to love, to reach out and help others. Without these stories we would have no compassion for the people and the world we live in.

There are an infinite amount of stories that I could tell others about my life that would also show how my views about society were shaped. My papa was the one who told me many stories that molded my views of society. He worked through some of the toughest times that any one person could do, yet he was still so loving and caring to his family. He built his own house, with his own hands and I also helped(however I only got to hammer nails because I was young). Seeing him build his own house showed me that you can't wait for things to just happen, you have to go out in the world and actually make it happen yourself and with others that want to help. Even though my papa has passed away from cancer, his stories still live on through me, and I still learn from them everyday. Stories surround us and teach us about life, and they will always be passed on through each and everyone of us.

"We are all made up of our past experiences, but we all share the same future"

I'm not really sure wrote this quote or that it is even exactly what they said, but it makes sense to me. What the author is trying to say and what this quote is saying are very similar. What the quote is trying to explain is that even though we affect our own lifes so do the actions of others. By listening to peoples experiences we can learn the things that they have and maybe even want to experience them ourselves. Also the service that we do as miniscule as it might be will help towards changing someones life. In turn these experiences give us a different perspective on life and changes our lifes as well. The quote also mentions our future. What it means by we share the same future is that our actions as individuals help shape society as a whole. This can make society worse or better depending on how many people are willing to help out and how many people are willing to stay on the sidelines and just complain. It is OUR experiences as a whole that make our communites, cities, and country.

It's the THOUGHT that matters

Let’s face it, we are not on this Earth for a very long time. We only have one life to live and in order to live this life to the greatest extent possible we need to open up as much as we can to realize more about ourselves and our world. This world has so much to offer and many of these things we wouldn’t know without hearing it from someone who has experienced this already. Not only do we gain a better understanding of the world but we can also find something new that we would enjoy or learn of a better way to live our life. As in every movie we watch where we are supposed to learn a lesson, the stories are the same way; if we take the time to think through many of the accounts we hear then we can gain much more than just information.

One problem some people can have is not thinking after hearing something new. We hear a story and react instead of thinking through everything that is involved. So this act of listening can always be beneficial if we comprehend everything that is said to us instead of hearing what others do and mistakenly see it as a way we should act. Such as the story of the African American boy stealing a pair of pants and the owner instantly wanting to press charges which would be the normal reaction. Instead she thought through the situation and understood what the boy was going through and how sending him over to the police would only further harm him and potentially his family.

…After everyone complaining about long blogs I’m trying to keep this short...
My life has been filled with pretty much everything. I’m one of those people who has done everything and tried everything. I grew up with separated parents and I don’t know how they thought they would survive marriage in the first place because they are complete opposites. So growing up I lived with my dad who was an outdoors type of person, who doesn’t believe in school, and is a huge entrepreneur. Then there is my mom who is one who says school comes first and that is the only way to be successful in life, and who has a family driven by sports. And on top of this my mom tries to be strict while my dad would encourage me to be even more outgoing than I already am. There is no easy way to sum up my life or even explain why I do what I do. It would take a lot more than you want to read for me to explain my reasons for community involvement and even though you agree with that you probably wouldn’t agree with some of the views I have on the world today. I may over think life too much but for me it’s the only way to truly understand why I do what I do.

The Power of the Word.....

The first thing that I thought about when I read that quote was that in a way our minds are like puzzles. Each piece represents knowledge, thoughts and experiences. I believe that Loeb's quote is very accurate, the stories we hear and things we learn from others continue to add pieces to the puzzle. Not all of us are capable of visiting every country we can possibly think of or doing anything that we want. We are educated by others who have had a chance to do experience those things. On another note, much of our history has been passed down by word of mouth. So in a way we have relied on the stories of others to learn. Having been raised by such a positive set of parents has brought me to where I am today. There is no single event in my life that occurred that turned me on to community service. I was taught the difference between right and wrong, equality, the value of work and I even acquired a bit of stubbornness throughout my life. The most important part is that from those values I was able to draw my own conclusions about what I see as right and wrong in our world. From then I developed the drive to put my efforts forward and make changes that I would like to see. My puzzle is hardly complete......

Those That Have Ears Let Them Hear

Loeb does talk highly of just listening to others and the stories they have to share. Listening is really the only way one can understand the significance of social injustice. I believe that when a person hears a story that moves them then they become more socially involved whether it be about that specific problem/issue or not. Stories change lives and motivate people to get involved. They paint a bigger picture of what people experience or have experienced. If there was no one to hear these stories then I believe there would be little to no motivation to make a difference. Stories inspire people to create change just as it did to Chris Kim the Businessman Loeb writes about in his book.

I know that what motivated me to get involved in my community is the year I went back to Ethiopia. It was the summer of 2007. I was so excited to go see the country in which my parents and I came from. Although since I was born here I really did not know what to expect. I got there and was shocked to see how some people lived. There where people all over the streets of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, just begging for money. Some with children as little as 2 months or so. The living conditions where horrible. This really disturbed me. I really was motivated to create change. So I came back that summer thinking I would become more involved in sending money to Ethiopia or supplies. I was so "pumped." Unfortunately, I started school again, it was my senior year in high school, I was working. I just got to caught up in my own life I forgot about my whole experience in Ethiopia. Now that I am in the SLICE program I have really been changing my way of thinking. Just like we discussed last week, it really does take one step at a time.

A New Perspective

By listening to others' stories we gain a different view on the world. We began to see the world in a new perspective. Listening to one's story is important because it helps us learn about them. It may also even help us gain a sense of ourselves. Also by listening to another's story we might help them feel more comfortable with their self and become more of a stronger individual, and we might even make a new friend in the process =).

... ... ...I don't have any exciting stories to tell from my life, nor do I have any that would sum my life up being so young. The only thing that shaped my views on community involvement was school. It started when I was in elementary with the can food drives and another that was walk for cancer, and that showed me that helping out other is a good thing and that good things come from it. I could of done a little more while in elementary but I was selfish and only thought of myself. When I got in high school I stated to do more for my community when I joined NHS. After that I just went from there and now I'm in SLICE doing all sorts of selfless acts.

Listening Ears

I think Ashlee said is best when she said there is a reason we have one mouth and two ears!
When I was in elementary school I was a Peer Mediator and in order to be able to help others we had to listen. I mean it is an obvious requirement. Without listening we couldn't hear each side of the story. If we couldn't hear each side of the story, how could we guide them to a resolution?

If we do not listen to other people's stories, how can we learn more about the world? Everyone has their own perspective on politics, social issues, and even the things we learn in school. Everyone perceives things differently and if you don't listen to them, you won't be able to learn from them. That story you hear may help solve a social injustice, even if you or the person telling the story is not a victim.

As for stories of my own?
Since I'm only nineteen, it is hard to find stories in my repertoire than can sum up my entire life. I'm still young and I'm growing everyday as a person, so something that would sum up my life would be changing with my personality all the time. So as of right now, that story is difficult to express. However, a couple stories that have shaped my view on the world as well as community involvement would have to be my experiences on Skid Row and at Arizona Girls State.

When I went with my church on a trip to Skid Row, Compton, Yosemite, and yes, even a homeless shelter in downtown Phoenix, my Pastor told us it would be life changing. And it was! The thing that I remember the most is being split up into groups and put out on Skid Row to find our way home by ourselves. In that day, we met a man who was once successful. With a few wrong choices, we was on the street, struggling to survive. It made me realize that anyone could be there, even me. That scared me out of my mind, but made me gain a lot of respect for those on the streets. I then realized how difficult it was for them and wanted to help them any way I could. It also made me realize how much is going on outside of my little world in Phoenix. Teenagers normally think in very concrete terms, only thinking about their world at home, however, it is experiences like this that help them think in abstract terms and change there view of the world.

As an Arizona Girls State participant, I experienced what it took to run a city and state. I was a citizen and no one could change that. I was responsible for making changes, motioning better laws to help our city and state run smoothly. This experience showed me how to be a better citizen and how it was possible to be involved, even if you are only seventeen. Some of the girls who then got elected to go to National, even got the opportunity to present their bill to real legislators. Who knows, maybe one day these bills will get passed. This just proves that you can make a difference at any age, just like Leob's book discusses in his book.

"A Wise Man Learns by the Mistakes of Others, a Fool by His Own"

The above quotation is from a Latin proverb, which I believe exemplifies what Loeb was trying to say. I believe that "fool" is a bit too strong of a word in the quote, but it does certainly get the point across. There is so much that can be learned, just by listening to what others have to say. It's amazing how much insight can be received by listening to elders, yet everyday we often choose to follow our own path and make our own mistakes; well at least I do anyways. This is a generalization of course, but I think that one flaw in youth is the feeling that we are invincible.

Now, I really did not want to use him, since he has already been used in the past, but the best example I can think of is Luke Skywalker, at the moment. In The Empire Strikes Back we see him training on Dagobah beneath Master Yoda. While using the Force to heft containers and R2-D2 into the air, Luke has a vision of his friends on Cloud City in grave danger. He looses his grip over the Force, thus dropping everything (much to the droid's dismay). When Luke says that he has to go save them, Yoda's response is, "Decide you must, how to serve them best. If you leave now, help them you could, but you will destroy all for which they have fought and suffered."


Now, of course Luke disregards both Master Yoda's and Master Obi-Wan's council and goes to save his friends, and what happens? He loses a hand, almost falls through a gas planet to his death, and finds out that his father is the 2nd most abhorred being in the galaxy. Now he did obey their advice not to fall to the darkside, which was of course their greatest fear. They wouldn't want their only hope to trade sides suddenly. And he did save his friends, which was of course was his only intentions, so because of those two things, I believe that Luke was impulsive, but certainly not a fool.

I suppose Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker would be another good example of this point. Despite being told time and time again, that Jedi were not to form attachments, he continued to form them. He murdered the Tusken Raiders when his mother died, and then decided to run off and get married - another attachment. Then when he thought that he would not be able to save his wife, he made a pact with the devil which in turn ended with a 23 year dictatorship, a Galactic Civil War, Anakin killing his own wife, and the blood of thousands of Jedi on his hands. How many times was he told not to go down that path? Far too many times to count.

If only he would have listened to his elders, there probably never would have been a Galactic Empire - or at least not one with him at the helm. The Hero with No Fear was not really a true hero until he saved his son from Force lightning. Don’t get me wrong I like Anakin Skywalker a lot; he just seemed to make a LOT more mistakes than the norm, often due to the fact that since he was the Chosen One, he thought that he could not ever be harmed, in a way.

Another reason to listen to stories, which I believe goes hand in hand with wisdom is the fact that history repeats itself. I will admit, I'm not a huge history fan, but that certainly does not mean that it can't be learned from.

I really don't know what I stories I could tell about my life. I mean it never really seemed that extravagant or anything. The biggest things for me have been theatre, working with children, writing stories, going to church, and Star Wars. I grew up around my family doing community service, and it just seems wrong to me not to help people out. I guess I have just always felt that I could make even the most miniscule difference in someone's life, and that could be more important than anything else.

Experience

The author means that not everyone has or can experience everything so other people's stories can help fill in the gaps that we have in our own lives. Also we can only experience a few issues or experiences in our own community when we hear other people's experiences we can learn about issues that we may not have hear of otherwise. I would tell a story in my own life about how I played football in high school. I was not the biggest or fastest kid on the team but I made up for it with work ethic and intensity.

Dumbo "the elephant"

Wow...there were just a few questions in that blog :) "Other people's stories can expand our view of the world," can be interpreted in many different ways. I think many people tend to be very narrow minded sometimes and stories can greatly influence them in a positive way. Stories can open up their mind to a whole new world. We only have a short time on this earth, some shorter than others, and need to experience as much as possible. Just because we don't experience something first hand, doesn't mean we can't live through someone else's story. Those are some of the most important aspects of our culture or any culture for that matter. The stories that are passed down from one generation to the next. These are the memories that can live on. Stories can also teach us right from wrong. Stories of success and failure can help us to better shape our lives to have meaning.

I think there is a reason we were given one mouth and two ears. We will get a lot more out of life by closing our mouths and opening our ears. Listening to others will help us find our true passion and calling. When you are not listening, you are not learning. When you are not listening, you are preventing opportunity. When you are not listening, there is nothing new. If people wish to live life to the fullest, then listening is vital. I also think that listening to the key to lasting relationships. We cannot have a strong bond with someone if we do not choose to listen. We cannot be educated if we do not choose to listen. Knowledge is gained by opening our ears and listening to everyone around us.

I have been involved in community service since a very young age. My dad started a rehabilitation center for birds of prey called "Liberty Wildlife," before I was even born. I started volunteering there with him when I was around the age of seven. I had silly jobs but was saving the real volunteers a great deal of time. I volunteered there for many years until I started competitive sports. Then, sports took over my life. However, I have gone back many times since, even though blood and guts is not really my thing. I am so thankful to my dad for getting me involved at such a young age. I know he has greatly influenced my desire to serve the community today!

Different Lenses

I believe that everyone looks at the world through their own special lens, and hearing the stories of others can allow each person to view the same situation through a different lens. Therefore, they learn new things and grow as a result. I am all about the learning and growing. :)

Hearing a person's story is important even if we're not victims of social injustice because hearing the story of one individual can open our eyes to the issue as a whole. For example relating back to my group, hearing the story about one homeless youth and learning about what he/she goes through can open our eyes to the issue of homeless youth as a whole. This relates back to what Loeb writes in the book. He says, "That's why learning what it's like for a single child to grow up with inadequate food, education, and medical care, with hopes damped and broken, can help us understand the moral ramifications of allowing this to happen to millions of children every day." It allows us to look past the statistical facts and numbers to see what is really going on with the people directly involved.

I think there are two main stories I would tell people from my life that have had the greatest impact on shaping who I am. My first story would be about my faith, and how I came to follow Jesus. My second story would be about community service, and how I learned what a great impact it can make on my life and the lives of others. I would share with them my experience of when I came to PVCC and got involved with community service here on campus.

Life is not long, and too much of it should not be spent in idle deliberation how it shall be spent

Hearing the stories of others can help open one's mind to issues surrounding the world without overwhelming the person, while providing insight on how the issues affect individuals rather than looking at an overview or faceless statistics. Simply hearing a person's story wouldn't necessarily have an impact on anyone, but it may at least provide information and possibly spur others to action. If only those who were victims of injustices took a stand against them, then fewer things in the world would have been changed for the better.

There isn't really much to tell about my own life, nothing that actually stands out. The closest thing I've probably done is just joining SLICE but since there is still training there isn't much to tell. Any ideas I have about community aren't too positive, in my opinion. Growing up the neighborhood all had those "Neighborhood Block Watch" signs in their windows that would say they'd look out for one another, but would still have petty disputes with each other. Even worse they wouldn't even try to dispute with each other and would call the cops on each other for such things as someone being too loud, even after an agreement had been reached upon not being loud once evening neared.

"...to act from pure benevolence is not possible for finite beings. Human benevolence is mingled with vanity, interest, or some other motive" (Samuel Johnson).

Giving my all

I believe that by listening to other people's stories, we can grow in our own lives and open up to issues and wonders alike in the world. When I was in high school, my dream was to be a Broadway star and to be in the cast of major Broadway shows like "Wicked", "Sweeney Todd", "Rent", and so on. I thought this would be easy, because I always got the lead role in my high school plays, so I thought I was pretty darn good at acting and singing. I never took into account that only about 20 people would audition for the shows, and only about 3 to 4 people had talent and was passionate about theater. It wasn't until my senior year, when I attened the annual Thespian Conference with my school when heard a woman talk about her experiences in living in New York and being rejected from practically every show she auditioned for, I realized how difficult it was, and this lady had all the talent and personality in the world. It was then I realized I needed to work twice as hard to acheive my dreams and it won't all fall into my lap as it did during high school. I actually realized how difficult the theater business is the other day. On Thursday, I auditioned for the school play (at PVCC) "The Crucible". I thought I did pretty good and I thought I was going to get a call back. I never got a call back, and it hit me: I'm going to have to work my butt off to really make it in theater and to get a starring role in the musical "Sweeney Todd" (my all time favorite musical).
So now, due to those experiences and more, I have decided to give 120% effort in everything I do. There are days when I only want to give 50% of my ability, and those are also the days that I get wake-up calls and I put myself back into gear and get working twice as hard as I was before.

Share

What the author means by "other people's stories can expand our view of the world" is a few things. One could expand and open their mind on other people's views and opinions by listening to what other people have to say about the subject; and the author could be explaining that if other people have stories of tragedy of mishap, that you should listen so that you are not to repeat the same mistakes.
Through my own life experience though, I have learned that you can not always learn from others stories, that you must experience it first hand to truly grasp the meaning. The most meaningful example I can use it love. You can read many stories of love, see romance in your friends and family, observe the heart breaks and sorrow alongside the joy; but unless you actually experience love for yourself, "to have love and lost rather than never loved at all," you will never truly know love. I still avoid the subject...
I still feel that I could have enjoyed high school much more if any minute of my free time was not held responsible for the NJROTC. Yes I got a good experience out of it, but ever since I enrolled at PVC and in the Honors program as well, I feel I can be more independant and free than I ever was. I'm taking this opportunity to become involved with my community with the helps of my friends and peers, and the wonderful staff.
I strongly agree with all of the others such as Isreal and Derick. Everyone's view matters, everyone's story holds meaning and morals. There's plenty of time to spend for yourself, but don't be selfish because the best time is spent together with others.

Live-Love-Learn

What Leob means is that within our very short life here we are unable to experience everything this world has to offer. In order to better understand other aspects of the world that we have not been exposed to we need to listen to the stories of those around us. In listening we are able to expand our knowledge, live through others experiences, and learn from their mistakes and achievements. Isnt that what this life that we were given is about.....to learn? Learn as much as we can in this short amount of time in order to teach others and pass on our wisdom. Pass on our legacy.

I have lead an extraordinary life. At a very young age I was forced to face heartbreaking situations that many people dont face in a life time. When I was 6 years old, I remember hearing the yelling from my mother and father. I remember my brother taking me into our bedroom to distract me. I remeber hearing my mom screech in pain as my father hit her. My family suffered emotional and physical abuse from my father for years. My mother didn't want this life for me and my brother, so she sought out help. We were fortunate enough to come into an organization, Homeward Bound, who helps families of domestic violence. This program was the reason I have devoted my life to helping others. I want to reach my hand out to someone in need. Shortly after entering the program, my father who was suffering from bipolar disorder, committed suicide.

I used to hide. I used to be ashamed of my past. I have LEARNED from these instances. I have LEARNED from others on how to cope and deal with them and move on. Instead of hiding from the fear, I have embraced everything life has given me and I am now a better person for it. I know now that the best thing to do is to TEACH others of my story and help them LEARN. Please don't ever settle, there is a whole life out there just waiting for you. You can achieve anything and everything your heart desires. And don't ever let anyone treat you less than royalty. We all deserve it. And know that there is help out there, you just need to be willing to ask for it.

So please dont give me your pity. I say these things only to spread my word and maybe help someone else. Like I said before I am very open about my past, if anyone has any questions/concerns or needs help please dont be afraid to ask.

Because You're Supposed To ;)

I feel this statement is more important than it might seem. While others have stated here that the importance of listening is to be exposed to new experiences and points of view, and to make a connection with others (and I agree with these views), I feel there is another meaning. We as human beings have a basic responsibility to listen to each other. This simple act, which is so rarely performed in a genuine way, is central to so much else. When Loeb states that “other people’s stories can expand our view of the world” I feel it means not just through the connection with their individual story, but the shift in attitude and perspective that occurs when you fully, really listen. To do this you have to have a basic openness, a willingness to learn and be exposed, and a willingness to find that what you think or believe may be flawed. This I feel is the universal gift of listening; the reward comes in the act itself in addition to the specifics of what is listened to.

I personally spent many years in the apathetic “cynical smirk” that Loeb describes. I was an “armchair intellectual,” quick to pontificate and just as quick to quite logically excuse my own self-interest and selfishness. I went to work then came home and entertained myself in much the same way most Americans do. This continued for years. One of the elements that caused me to snap out of this lull (which quite possibly could have continued for the rest of my life) was the candidacy of Barack Obama. I know it is somewhat of a cliché to say that his message of hope inspired me, but it truly did. In a world where I saw nothing but corruption, doom, and failure, Obama stood out like a beacon to me as a message that nothing is futile. Hearing about him acted as a catalyst for me to start examining my own life. As it is said, “If you’re not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” I was part of the problem. I wasn’t okay with this any longer. I decided that a life devoted to change and making this world a better place that subsequently ends in abject failure is still far greater than a life of “getting by” and watching the world die while I play computer games.

It is to move toward this goal that I am involved in programs like SLICE, and the experience of working with others who can’t just stand by as things get worse has helped to further strengthen my resolve and cement my desire for change.

We are the future; they are they past.
Nothing is futile; resistance is bliss!

Everyone has a story to tell

Everyone has a story to tell about their life and experiences good or bad. However, when you think about it there are so many stories that go untold. When people talk and others listen you get a sense of connection. A feeling that you can relate to that person or sympathy. I heard many stories growing up about how my dad grew up in an entirly different world than me. He had to fight almost every day, he wasn't the oldest but he picked up the resposibilty of the older brother. He told me that he learned from his siblings mistakes and always tried to think of the best choice in order to pull ahead. My mother told me about how when she was younger her family only had one new outfit per school year. She said she never noticed her family was poor it just never occured to her. I take many things for granted although I do not intend too. I have never had to deal with something not being there or missing so I do not know what it is like to miss it. Most people can agree with that statement. I heard this quote in high school "those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it." I believe this will forever hold true. The experiences and lifes of others are so important to hear because it can bring together in understanding one another, instead of thinking I am the only one. My parents would tell me that the world does not revolve around me and that we all have to make sacrifices for those we care about. SLICE has opened my eyes to the reallities of the world and I hope my siblings will learn to be not so selfish.

Listen to others and learn

"I haven't written for a few days, because I wanted first of all to think about my diary. It's an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary; not only because I have never done so before, but because it seems to me that neither I - nor for that matter anyone else - will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl. Still, what does that matter? I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart." (from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, 1952)

Many of us live in a superficial world and are unaware of what goes on around our surrounding. Living our existence day by day by sipping on our latte’s pretending that all is well and all is fine. Disregarding that such cruelty and inequality is happening across the world. Such stories like Anne’s Frank helps us recognize such issues exist. The story of Anne Frank is a very touching and powerful one that has brought awareness of victims of the Nazi’s genocide during WWII. We are fortunate to read Anne’s diary which has allowed us to see through her eyes during this atrocious period. We have an opportunity to understand how cruel humans can be to each other and also this book reminds how we should treat each other, justly. Through her story she has brought strength hope and courage to many that have read her diary. Listenng to eah other can help us learn about ourselves. We can learn about cultures and the values poeple sponsor, and about the challenges people confront as they live their daily lives.

Life is good and beautiful and we should not take it for granted. I have many experiences that have evolved me to be the person I am today. I am proud and don’t regret a moment in my life. Through experiences like gangs, death, migrate, drugs, army, war, love, South America, hate, school, homeless, activist, teacher have molded me to be a strong passionate person.

Live Every Day to the Fullest

I believe that Loeb is simply stating that it is very valuable to learn from others experiences to get the most out of life. Everyone must live every day to the fullest, but at the end of the day one can only do so much. We only have one life, and we should live it to our fullest enjoyment. By learning other people's stories of success and failure we can also come up with better ways to make an impact. I feel that it is very important to listen to others. By hearing others stories you can learn what your own passions are and aren't. Even though you may not be a victim of social injustice, it is still important to listen to others. This will give you a better understanding of the world and different issues you want to help combat.

I am only nineteen and so I feel like I still have a lot of ground to cover in my life. I have many goals ahead for me. I have always felt that it is my nature to get involved with my community. I was very involved in high school, however I lacked confidence. I had so many ideas but at times I was too shy to speak my opinions and make changes.

I came to PVCC almost two years ago now, and I was introduced to the honors program. After taking HUM 190 ,honors forum ,with Sherry and Rick, I developed that confidence I needed to make it to the next level of involvement. By surrounding myself with other people just like me that share the same motives to make our community and our world a better place, I feel that I can accomplish a lot in my future. I look forward to everyday and what opportunities it may bring me. I also look forward to going to San Diego and serving their community!!! :)

Listen to me!

The statement made by the author can be interpreted in many different ways. Here is what I think it means… As humans, we can only experience so much in this world. With so many events and opportunities, there are only so many that we will be able to experience. By allowing ourselves to listen to the stories of others, we are able to experience things that we may not have been able to experience otherwise. We hear learn what they learned, and in turn become more enlightened because of it. Also, by listening to others, we may be able to see things in a completely different angle. When experiencing, we may only see it a certain way. By listening to what others have to say, we see how they saw things. This helps us learn that there are other perspectives other than our own. Then, we are able to enrich our own stories, or share the views of those who have shared them with us.

Since I am fairly young, I do not really feel like I have experienced too much worth telling. I guess the only things I would really write about is my experiences in SLCE. The reason for this, is that I think that it has been the most enlightening experience I have had. Not only has SLICE taught me how to be a leader, but it has also taught me to give of myself, and that every little bit counts. I now understand that it is important to help out in ones community, cause if I don’t, then there will not be a community to share. By working in Phoenix and in San Diego, I learned that there is so much more to life than just the day to day shuffle that we all usually experience.

Image retrieved from teflbootcamp.com/Teaching-EFL-Listening.htm

Chapter 6: The Call of Stories

What does the author mean when he states that, "other people's stories can expand our view of the world"? Discuss the importance of listening to other people's stories. Why are other people's stories important to hear, even if we're not victims of social injustice?

What stories might you tell from your own life? What story would sum up your own life? What stories shaped your views of community involvement? How would you write your political autobiography?

potential

The more I read this book, the more inspired I become to serve. As Rabbi Hillel put it, "If i am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?" This quote really touches on something special for me. When I first started reading this book I was reluctant to really think about the message, to really let it get to me. I remember thinking to myself, I can do my part in the world with some random acts of kindness. Last season on my way back from a snowboard trip, me and my friends saw some guys pushing a truck though the mountainous road and right after we saw them we saw a sign that said "gas - 14 miles". We decided to turn around and give them a lift. You should have seen their smiling faces when we started to pull them, it was priceless.

Doing stuff like this can really make you feel great and like your doing something worth while to help the world. Now, I do think that these random acts of kindness are great and should be done whenever you have the oppertunity. Although they are random and you really don't get the chance very often. As I read more of "soul of a citizen", I realize that we must play a great roll in our communities and world than just random acts of kindness. That we should all be a part of something much greater than ourselves. Also as I gain more education and really get to know myself I realize I want something much more than just financial wealth and freedom, I want to be an active member of society. As Barack Obama said, "Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential."

Tyler Durden

First of all I'd like to say that it sucks probably being the last one to post because it was about impossible finding the question.
But anyways...I believe you'll never get the full picture until you involve yourself. I experience this, of all places, in high school. I was in the NJROTC program for my four years (and as far as I'm considered, I did my time), but even though I was heavily involved in the program and leadership, I still knew I was missing out on other opportunities. I was in and out of the school newspaper for a few years, and that was a good excuse for me to get away from the rotc group, but that's all I was doing with it, just using it as an excuse. It wasn't until I got involved in the theatre that I really experienced high school for what I'll remember it as, I just regret it was only 1 year, but it was my senior year.
I spent many hours, and days, creating sets, practicing lines, running through tech work. I've always tried to be the "Jack of all trades," constantly trying new things and doing endless training, but it always came in handy because I could always find a use for myself, as well as others finding a use for me as well. I educated myself in skills such as leather crafting, woodwork, metal fab, writing, photography, martial arts, mechanical knowledge, botany, computer craft (hardware and 3D design) and others I probably forgot I can do.
As referring to my post title, for those of you who do not know either the book or movie titled Fight Club by author Chuck Palahniuk. He was two great men in one, an extraordinary business man and a resourceful entrepreneur, bother coming together with a split personality disorder.
Both of these characters came together and used their skill together to create an order with a similar cause (though one was obviously not fully aware of the other's intentions). Some might not agree well with my example, but I look at in a view where this man used his skills to create an order of people with a similar cause and accomplished world changing events.
And sorry for being so late...

Support

When I was growing up there was not much enthusiasm to help get involved in our community. There was a lot of complaining but never any action. In fact, I was encouraged to not walk around in my neighborhood. This is for various reasons but for the most part I was pretty isolated. I remember back in high school when my teacher spoke of community service I just imagined soup lines and picking up trash in the heat. My family, my support was never involved in community projects so I did not know how to get involved. I was always taught to take care of myself and my family. I learned that blood was thicker than water. I developed a sort of selfish attitude towards people. However, I was also taught to have compassion for other who are less fortunate than myself. I was never taught to get involved nor was I encouraged to be either. The support was not there.



However, when I joined college and was forced with great motivation to become involved in my community. It was one of the key defining moments in my life that makes me who I am today, and what I aspired to be many years ago. I never thought that I had any thing to offer in my community other than my labor with my hands. However, now I realize that with my charisma I can persuade people to become active. I can make people look at themselves in a way they never did before and question themselves. The hardest thing is getting stubborn people to stop being so individualistic and start thinking community. We are all in this together whether you want to believe it or not. It is up to individuals to support those who cannot support themselves properly, and to train those who do not know how. So, they can support themselves.

This has been a Lewis Robinson reflection on peoples unwillingness to "get involved"

Activist

“Now renegades are the people with their own philosophies They change the course of history Everyday people like you and me”

“Never give up just live up Fed upon America We be spittin' it upRippin' it up”

Funny enough it was through music where I learned to be active and the meaning of activism. The quotes lyrics above are of a band that I heard when I was 16. When I heard them I was left dumbfounded and I could believe that a group had that courage stand up and say something with such power and passion. Groups like Bad Religion, The Clash, The Coup, Talib Kweli, KRS One, Bob Marley, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam and other where my keys to knowledge and activism . Music gave me an opportunity to learn more about Geronimo’s courage, Martin Luther King’s dream, Yaqui’s way of knowledge, Feminist movement and its struggle against patriarchy, Marcos and the Zapatistas 500 year struggle, The Armenian Genocide and much more. And not just learned from music and book but it gave me the desire and determination to engage in social issues, to take risk and speak out. It gave me the passion to speak and defend for those, that instead of gratitude and honor, they only receive the abuse of the dominant. I leaned that our voice is our weapon, and it has to carry out and echoed through the halls the streets and the world. Let it be heard.
Activism is an important element in the process of social transformation and a key to civic involvement. And most importantly activism is the genuine concern for people. Lastly, activist must be engaged in society, partaking in the joy and suffering of ordinary lives, to listen to respect, and to be involved in the journey of his or her people.

Below is a quote that I have been caring around that has giving me the strength to continue my passion.


To laugh is to risk appearing the fool;
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental;
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feeling is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and your dreams
before the crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure.

But risk must be taken,
because the greatest hazard in life
is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing,
has nothing and is nothing;
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they simply cannot learn,
feel change, grow, love, Live
Chained by their certitude, they are a slave,
they have forfeited freedom;
Only the person who risks is free.

~~ Author Unknown

united we can !

Since childhood I was always encouraged to help others. My family and friends have taught to me to be aware of the problems that surround us. One of my earliest memories of social activism I have is when I joined my 5^th grade classmates in order to clean the neighboring soccer field. My elementary school was not very big so we weren’t allowed to play soccer inside the school so we had to improvise by playing in the land lot next to our school. This lot was a desert solitude filled with trash, glass, reptiles, tires, and the biggest collection of dirty diapers I’ve ever seen. This lot was like an adventure island where you never knew what you’ll find. The school never even thought about cleaning the lot until parents began complaining about the lot. This gave rise to a conflict that lasted for days, or for a kid’s eyes, it lasted for decades. While the bureaucracy between adults took place, our class decided to do the dirty work instead.

We literally armed ourselves with brooms, machetes,…yes machetes, shovels and buckets. Every weekend we would go to the lot and clean a small portion of the lot. It took us half of the year to convert that desolate place into a “better” place to play. It was too clean but it was safer than playing in sandboxes filled with car oil and shattered glass. Soon after the school and our parents noticed what we had accomplished and decided to contribute to the work. It was a great experienced seeing that even thought we were very small, we were able to unite ourselves and the adults in order to accomplish something that seemed impossible. Now that I think about it, it seems like an episode of Recess! Anyways, this experience showed me the power of social activism that any groups of people can posses.

When it comes to the abilities I posses I would have to say I’m always a good listener. This has helped me to solve problems and create solutions for many obstacles. I also believe that every person possesses unique abilities that can always contribute to a team. So when these abilities unite, almost any problem can be solved.