The Reluctant Giver by Denver

The Reluctant Giver by Denver - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

I live in a small rural area with a population of roughly 1,500 people or so but finding something to do has never been much of a problem. All seasons are appreciated for the fun and adventure they bring. Snowmobiling, four wheeler riding, swimming, fishing, gardening, collecting chicken eggs, learning to drive a pay loader and bulldozer, woodworking and my current employment at a wood mill. Point is, I can find a wholesome activity without any assistance. My mother on the other hand, feels like I need to learn to give. She is a tenacious woman who must spend long hours awake wondering what else she will make me do. Her mentality rotates around the point that we all have something to give and we should learn to give of our time and talent for free. For free is the point I would like to stress here. I work hard but I also like the paycheck at the end of all that work. This is where I have learned, through no choice of my own, to grow!
One day while driving down the road, my mother noticed a pile of six to eight chords of wood dumped on a couple's lawn. Now this couple just so happened to both have serious physical limitations so what do you think we did as a family? Bring in all that wood for free!! Not once but for three successive years. How about helping the undertaker. Yes, I have helped prepare the groundwork for those passing souls who were cremated and for free!! How about those snow packed roofs!!! You guessed it. Mother was there with her strong recommendation that there was work to be done. Then there was the community skating rink which had been closed for a few years due to a lack of volunteers. Guess what? The rink opened and we as a family along with a few more generous souls were the ones responsible for the weekend skating rendez-vous.
The list can go on but my reluctant volunteer work surely has opened my eyes. I have learned to see beyond myself and my own selfish needs. I have learned that there is much to be done to keep a community united and that working for the good of others is just as rewarding and at times more rewarding than the paycheck. This knowledge will surely follow me as I advance in years and continue to keep a look out for opportunities to make a difference by giving freely of myself. I have also learned that giving without expecting anything in return is a community builder in many ways.
The fruits of my volunteer work have spread. Once we could no longer bring wood in for the disabled couple, we made sure to find someone who could which opened the door for a church organization to step in. The undertaker has now retired and a younger person has taken over but I often get called to help at the older gentleman's home. The skating rink which we could not take care of this year due to the addition of another family member has remained open with a fresh group of volunteers. The biggest lesson in all of this is that at times it takes one person to get the ball rolling. It takes one person to lead. It takes one person to identify a need and remedy the situation. If that one person does something versus doing nothing, than that something will be seen by others and with a bit of good fortune, a community will come together as a team and a goal will be accomplished. Experiencing this first hand has inspired me to continue to look for work to be done. I think my mother should be proud!