Day Twenty: Representing My School

On a Saturday mornings, I like sleeping in.  After a long, hard five days of getting up at 7 in the morning, it’s a nice change of pace to sleep in until about 11 on Saturday.  It’s something I’ve always liked doing.

However, today, I got up at 7 o’clock, and made it to school by 7:30.  Why, you ask?  Because I had marching band.

Now, I don’t particularly enjoy marching band.  However, as a rule, if you are in band at my high school you have to march.  And that’s okay.  It takes approximately three days out of the entire school year to do.  So there aren’t any complaints here.

I was actually surprised how easy it was to get out of bed this morning.  Which is a good thing- it was a great way to start the day.   And I think that’s why it was so easy to represent my school today.

Whenever you go somewhere, you are a representation of something.  You represent yourself, your school, and your community.

After marching in a parade, we went to a buffet at Pizza Ranch.  And all of us kids were very respectful if I do say so myself.

For one, we weren’t greedy.  We only took what we knew we could eat, just like our band teacher instructed.

Next, we cleaned up after ourselves, stacking plates and glasses as neatly as possible, for the bus people.

And I’m not sure if anyone else did this or not, but I made sure to thank the workers at Pizza Ranch.  It was very nice of them to let us eat there and I wanted to make sure we could come back again.

(The food was really good, by the way.)

J

Time for some critical thinking on your part!

What do you represent when you go out into the world?

Day Nineteen: A Few Little Things(:

 “It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.”  --Arthur Conan Doyle

 

Today, I did a lot of little positive acts

The first one included a button.  I wrapped a button with paper and wrote “Free Hugs” on it.  Then, I walked around school and went to a football game with this pin on my shirt.

There are some real benefits to hugs, you know.  These include:

 

- Make someone feel accepted

- Relieve stress

-Improve your immne system

-Lower blood pressure

J

 

The next thing I did was make a bookmark for a stranger. I went to my American Literature class and walked to my desk.  On it was a book.

So, thinking I’d be nice, I made a bookmark!

I know I’d like it if someone saved my page.  And I’d REALLY like if I found a nice message in it.  And even now, I don’t know whose book that was.

JI started a trend today too.  I was at the football game at 5:45 to set up the concession stand, and my art teacher was there.  He gave me some calk.  And me, being a former cheerleader, decided to pump up the beaver spirit!  Look at my beautiful art work!

See?  I think these really got people excited!  I even drew a pink ribbon since today was the Cancer Awareness/Parents’ Night football game.  And the best part?  When I was done working concessions at the end of the night, the entire slab of pavement was covered in drawings!

J

My last positive act of the day involved Jena A.  (The A stands for awesome.)  She wanted me to walk her to her car when all everything in the concession stand was put away.  I decided that I could take five minutes and do that.  Why not?

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen." --John Wooden

Day Eighteen: Donating Blood

Today's act of kindness didn't go as planned.  Which is okay, I think.  Not all acts of kindness go as planned.  But you know what they say:

 

It's the thought that counts.

 

Today, I went to a blood drive with the intention of giving a double!  A double amount of blood!  I would be helping so many people!  But, unfortunately, I have to be at least 5'5" and about 145 pounds to do that.  I'm a measly 5'3"  AND A HALF!  I will never be able to give a double, which makes me very sad.

 

But, anyway, I got called into do my interview about my health history.  After the lady was done taking my temperature, I asked the lady, "Does it matter that I have a cold?"

 

She looked at me and said, "Well, normally, I don't give blood unless I'm in good shape.  Otherwise I feel really rundown.  Do you still want to donate?"

 

I contemplated that for a good thirty seconds then decided to go on with the donation.  I'd rather sarific my stamina for someone who really needs the blood.

 

I responded, "No, I think I will be fine."  Then quickly added, "Do you think I can still give blood if I had Mono last May?  Since it's September now, that would be about six months, I believe."

 

The lady pondered for a moment, then walked around the confidentiality walls.  I heard the shuffling of paper.

 

A minute later, the lady came back around the corner.  "Sorry, hon.  The next time you would be able to donate will be at the end of October."

 

Well, that didn't go as planned...

 

But!  I still feel good about trying!  In fact!  The lady still gave me this oversized "super donar" shirt for stoppin in!

 

 

 

So why should YOU donate?

Here are some fast facts that may influence you to donate someday:

-Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, which means more than 44,000 blood donations are needed every single day.

-More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year, and many of them will need blood.  In some cases, they may need it daily.

- One car accident victim may need as many as ONE HUNDRED pints of blood.

- One donatioon can actually SAVE up to three lives.

-Bood cannot be made.  It comes only from donors.

 

Still not completly convinced? 

Think about THESE facts:

-Donating is safe.  They always use a sterile needle.

-Donating is fast.  The actual process of giving blood only takes about ten to twelve minutes.

-You have enough blood!  The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in their body.  About 1 pint is given during the donation.

-All information given during the donation process is completely cofidential.

 

I STRONGLY suggest you donate blood.  Especially if you have an O Negative blood type (Sadly, I'm O POSITIVE!) because their blood can be universally transfused to all blood types.  Only seven percent of all the people in the United states have an O-negative blood type, but it is always needed.  In fact, this type of blood is used for emergencies, when the doctors don't have time to determine their blood type, such as car accidents.  Interesting stuff, huh?

 

So conquer that fear of needles, and make an appointment...TODAY!

(Unless you have Mono in the past 6 months...)

Someone in this world desperately needs YOUR help.

Day Seventeen: Volunteering to Babysit

Today’s positive act is a small one, but a kind one.  While my best friend was practicing her oral interp piece with our oral interp coach, I volunteered to watch her brother.

We played dominos together and I genuinely had a good time.

And as I was talking to my oral interp coach (who happens to be the teacher I mentor fifth grade for) before I left, she told me about how much of an influence I have on the elementary students

She told me about how this little boy was grumpy before I came into mentor earlier in the day and how happy he became once I left.

That is what this project is about.

Making people’s days brighter, by showing them someone cares.

If you show younger kids you care, they will grow up to care too.

You have no idea how much impact you have on someone, you know.  In fact, I plan on babysitting my boyfriend’s little sister here sometime soon.  I think we are incredibly overdue for a girls’ night, and I know that all she’s looking for is someone to show they care.

“No, I like being a role model because I know how much comfort my…idols brought me.” -- Shirley Manson