My Little Part

In the glamorous world in which we live in always have situations like the stories on the big screen. I’m talking about how life is like the movies. It’s always so enchanting, helping the world, and paying it forward. Well even though that is how service learning is supposed to make us feel, I know as I was vacuuming the hallways this was not the joyful feeling running through my veins. After I finished the vacuuming and then was assigned to clean the windows, I began wondering what is the purpose for this? How am I really helping the community by just being a janitor? Then I thought back to my orientation with my supervisor at the Salvation Army in Lafayette. She said that they keep a very small staff in order to direct most or their funds toward the local community rather than extra hands, like a cleaning service. So as insignificant as I felt sorting used clothes and scrubbing windows, I thought about the approximately $30 that it would have cost to hire out those duties. Instead I, the volunteer, spared just 3 hours out of my week to help with the mindless tasks. I bring attention to this point only to show how important every little job is important. Out of the many lessons that service learning may provide to each student, this is one that spreads throughout many aspects in the world. It’s like the saying in the theatre, “there is no such thing as a small part, just small actors.”  This reiterates the point our small 30 hours of service with these organizations really does help the community. So next time when I vacuum the Salvation Army offices, I will remember that I am doing a small but important part to help the Lafayette district.