Month: January 2019

I had the opportunity to attend a presentation about an adults personal experience with struggling academically in the past and how he managed to live. I excited and grateful I had this opportunity because I am in the time in my life where I may decide what I do for the rest of it.

I walked in, and immediately discovered by the person speaking was an outdoor ed teacher I knew from some of the UWCSEA school trips. As he went through his life story briefly, I felt more connected because before I knew him as a random teacher who probably had a typical life, but in the presentation, I learned many things from him and his regrets.

I always looked at academics as a must have, and then make time to learn how to do other things. But after this presentation, I realized if I truly enjoy something, then it is possible to pursue that for the rest of your life. Academics is obviously still important and can help you accomplish things, but I learned that it is more important to find something you enjoy doing and earn money from it.

I got the chance to attend a presentation about a fostering mother telling us a story about one of the children she took care of. I thought the presentation would be about a fostering parent not being able to take care of many children at first, however soon after entering the classroom, I realized it was about a fostering mother not being able to take care of one child.

The child she described and gone through life much different then I had, which refurbished my view on society and reminded me of the valuable things I have. I used to think not everybody could change, but after hearing how this once violent aggressive child had now become a hard-working member of society, now I realize everyone is more similar then it feels, and everyone can be understood.

I took away two things from this session: To value overlooked possessions I have, and to understand everyone can change.

The part about the story which was most significant for me was when the boy was transferred to the fostering mother, and all of the possessions he had could fit in a small black bag at the age of six. This affected my gratefulness towards things being given to me and made me really feel empathetic to this boy.