Other Things Worthy of Your Time
"I Can Make a Difference!"
11/25/03
Yeah, I can make a difference. I could go over the common list of things I’ve done, from peer-tutor programs, to the time I volunteered to coach a small town little league team, but everyone does those things. It’s appreciated I’m sure, but it still doesn’t feel like it’s making all that much of a difference.
Then again, maybe change always starts as something small anyway. I’m no aspiring prophet but still do my part to make a name for myself on the people who I figure will make a name for themselves, and that’s how you make a difference. You pull a string here, offer a hand there, and hope it ends up in an intricate network of mutual back scratching.
I won’t say I’m not selfish, and don’t do things that I think will help myself out in the end, but I’ve at least tried to remain somewhat humble, and help out people that I don’t think could help me out. Case in point:
In the past couple months I’ve had four separate people come to me with some sort of burden on their shoulders. One was feeling down about her appearance, another similarly self-conscious after an altercation with her boyfriend, and the last having pretty much a mix of the other two, minus the altercation.
As I said, I’m selfish, and while I was glad to help the second since I’m never pleased to hear about abuse, and the last is a friend, the first was someone I rarely regarded, and actually felt better when I wasn’t regarded by. I figured it would look worse for me to not do anything though and so I agreed to help, while still trying to appear as if I had no personal opinion on the matter. I assume she felt better after we ‘chatted’ since afterwards she told me I always seemed to say exactly the right things she needed to hear.
Funny cause her question was, “Do you think I’m attractive?” and my reply was, “I’m still talking to you aren’t I?” (I’m shallow.) Of course I gave her more words of wisdom than that but maybe by being impersonal it ended up helping more than it would have otherwise. People don’t need to hear what other people think, they need to get a mindset for themselves, because I truly believe you not only have to care about yourself before you care about others, but have to care about yourself above all others.
When I say I’m selfish, I don’t mean to say I’m greedy, or any of the other negative aspects associated with the idea, but I do find a need to place myself first to be productive at anything, and it’s a way of thinking I’ve felt inclined to preach to other people. By being selfish, and telling people they should be selfish too though, I’m saying you should think, “what do I think?” but asking, “what do you think?” which doesn’t seem that selfish in the end.
NOTES
This was for another little essay contest that I didn't win. I'm sure it didn't take me that long. It was worth doing just to get the words flowing though.