What do you do when....

...you are ready to walk, when you know that what you've got is the best there will ever be for you...when the impossible becomes your reality.

I played around with the idea of being single for a long time after my last breakup. This, this just happened, how, I have no clue, alright maybe a small idea of how. I wanted to be strong, independent and carefree but somehow I love this. I love being his, I love being in his arms, on his arm, holding his hand, on his lap, on his back, in his lap, and in his life.

Its a scary thing when you have someone's heart in your hands because you know the more you open up to him, the more he opens up to you, and the more it will hurt if something happens. But if you're both happy, then its perfect, I am happy.

Is it weird I never really dreamed of my wedding, as a kid I mean; everyone thinks that every little girl is dreaming of that day forever and ever, but I don't think I have ever done it more than now. A beautiful dress, my family, his family, and a beautiful future....I know I can't rush things but its wonderful to dream-- it is a wonderful dream.

I am scared
I am happy
I am in love

Winning Essay for Undergraduate Community Service Contest: Self Growth and Empowerment Gained Through My Community Service

Self Empowerment and Self Growth Gained Through My Community Service

Amelia Houghton

Quinnipiac University

           Many people think that community service is about offering your help to people less fortunate than you; I believe this view is ignorant. Community Service is not about helping others; it’s about investing in others and investing in the greater benefit of our entire community. I participate in community service believing that the people around me are worth no less than I am and that I am no better than they are. In fact, perhaps the people I help are better off than me, because they are continuing to build up their lives every day. My future remains unknown, as my life could fall to shambles and be without a home or food. Their commitment to make the best of their situation and desire to make their lives better is incredible. Community Service is about assisting others and allowing yourself to open up to them. It requires a unbiased attitude and the rewards include self-growth, self-knowledge, and emotional satisfaction. Community Service is not about helping others; it is about empowering, investing in, and learning about yourself and others.

                Before Quinnipiac University, I was involved in Girl Scouting and also in small community service projects through this work. The community service I have done at Quinnipiac University was a bridge for my own realization of a passion and growth which I possess.  At Quinnipiac University I joined the program, Lives of Commitment, for freshman students. Three girls and I attend volunteer service each week in Wallingford, CT at Master’s Manna, a diaper bank, food pantry, clothing center and soup kitchen. While working at Master’s Manna, I have learned that you are not simply providing the clients with food; you are allowing them to maintain some aspect of dignity. One of my favorite jobs at Master’s Manna is working as an escort, a person who works in the food pantry. When we stock the shelves, we try to make the shelves look very organized and like a real supermarket. At the food bank, we are not just allowing the clients to provide food for their family but we are giving them the sense of actually shopping in a supermarket. The clients receive food no matter how the shelves look, but we are not only giving them food, we are allowing them to maintain pride. The act of the service is not only a short-term food supply to the less fortunate but instead a long-term preservation of self-esteem. In addition to targeting the issues of poverty, food shortages and health issues, at Master’s Manna I am also targeting the maintenance of morale, esteem, and pride in the clients.

                My service has benefitted individuals, an organization, and myself physically and emotionally. Many people believe the purpose of service is to simply help; however true service teaches you about yourself and pushes you to realize more about yourself. Superficially, my community service allows me to help others, to give them food, clothing, and diapers.  When truly analyzed, my service is about being supportive of the clients as well as receiving support from them. An Aboriginal Activist Group from Queensland once said “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Service for me has been a give and take process; everyone needs something and everyone has something to learn. If you go to service and put yourself above all the others, you will miss the opportunity to also receive.

 In my service I have met many people, but one woman who I first met in my fourth week of service has touched me in particular. I am unsure of her name, but I do know she is involved with the church and she is attempting to get a degree working with computers. Every week I look forward to seeing her and we have become close friends. Her embrace is like a mother’s embrace, I can feel how much she cares for me and appreciates me, simply because I talk to her about her life and share my life with her. While I was going through a difficult time as my grandmother was passing away, I reached out to her and told her about it. Through this, I gained a relationship and support and she was empowered. Every week she is here for me with a hug and a kiss, with support and a priceless gift. The fifteen minutes I spend with her each week, are special and valuable to me. This is what community service is about, identifying with and bonding with others, coming together and helping each other.

Community service is about empowering others and empowering yourself. For me, my service is empowering, and I enjoy jumping in and helping the minute I get to service. At Master’s Manna, there are purple volunteer t-shirts which are only given to those volunteers which have “earned” their shirt. Before spring break, I opted to stay at Quinnipiac that Friday night so that I could attend service that night. When I walked into service, the other volunteers were all pleasantly surprised because they did not expect my service that night. That night, I worked at the table in the food pantry, portioning out the meat and frozen goods to different families. Even though this job is busy and stressful, I enjoy it. When I see that something is in low supply, I refill it. I never noticed my work ethic or my insight as something extraordinary. At the end of the night, Bob, one of the men in charge came to me with some of the other volunteers and they brought me a purple shirt. They told me that some of the volunteers had come to him and had many good things to say about my reliability and work habits. They were impressed because this is rare in their volunteers who usually come to complete service hours. I never realized I had so much to offer to the organization until then. Community service is not just about helping others, it helps you; I would not have realized how extraordinary my actions could be without my service.

Although service can prevent challenges and roadblocks, the rewards outweigh the challenges when you embrace the service. It is difficult to go into a soup kitchen and food pantry and not feel even a little guilty for all you have been provided for in life. I came from a somewhat wealthy town in Massachusetts and I am attending college. For me, it is somewhat difficult not to wonder how some people get so lucky. Everyone needs help, and even if you cannot change the world in one day, you can make a difference little by little. I am very fond of the tale of the starfish where a boy was walking with his father on a beach and threw starfish which had washed up on the shore back into the ocean one by one. When the boy’s father told him he couldn’t make a difference, the boy picked up one more starfish and said “it will make a difference to that one” (Eisely). I think the meaning of this story, that you can make a difference with every action, is reflected in my service. I cannot give each person a job, a home, and enough food for their lifetime, but I can provide them with hope, support, and motivation. My group did a can drive for the good pantry, although we only donated six hours of our time, we collected over $100 and at least four huge boxes of non-perishables. Although we cannot end the hunger, we can reduce it. The service has taught me that I can make a difference despite differences in lifestyles, communities and cultures. I learned that the smallest effort and time donation and support can mean the world to others and also be beneficial to myself.

Community Service is about empowering, investing in, and learning about yourself and others, not simply about “helping the less fortunate.” My service helps reduce hunger and aid the impoverished by making necessary goods and services accessible to them, but it also provides support, relationships and emotional aid. Although service requires a significant amount of effort, it has allowed me to learn about another realm of living and has allowed me to give and gain support. I have learned about my extraordinary perseverance, communication skills, and work ethic—and that even though I am only one eighteen year old college student, the application of these characteristics can truly make a difference. Through my community service at Quinnipiac University, I have learned that service is a valuable component of my life and that it not only requires you to give but it teaches you how to receive.  I now better understand the saying that it is in giving that you receive.

Cited:

Eisley, Loren. "THE STARFISH STORY." Starrbrite.com. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.starrbrite.com/starfish.html>.

Lost

How am I supposed to choose between my best guy friend and the guy I've fallen for? Yes he was his friend, I admit thats a little messed up, but he encouraged it, and didn't seem to show he had a huge issue with us talking. I never meant to upset my friend, but I can't really help how I feel or interact with a specific person. I feel like I'm screwed now.
(a) I choose my best friend over my new interest: he probably won't be too accepting of me at this point and then I lose something thats really making me happy and someone I have really great chemistry with
(b) I choose my new interest over my best friend: I could mess up their friendship and my friendship is definitely lost which will make it awkward if something comes out of this and they live together and I could lose all my guy friends with him. (Hopefully he will chill out---but he can be kinda stubborn)
(c) I choose neither and go lay in the middle of the quad by myself trying to figure out how I managed to screw things up so much
             maybe hoping someone would come
                       but not sure how good that would be, because then I have to make a decision
             and if not, then I lost a couple of my best friends here
                       the ones I was so happy to have and valued so much

"What does it take to make  a journey? A place to start, something to leave behind...we might imagine a journey with no destination, nothing but the act of going, and with never an arrival. But I think we would always hope to find something or someone, however unexpected and unprepared for" (John Haines)

Maybe I need to go on a journey now. Starting walking out of my dorm right now, leaving behind these relations I've developed and been so strengthened by---I have no idea where I will go or where I will end up---but maybe a journey is what I need. Yes I would always hope to find something or someone. But I always mess everything up-- or so it seems.

I don't want to give this up--It will be very painful
I don't want to lose my friend--It will be extremely painful

Faith

I find that I usually slack in my giving up of something during lent and half-ass things. Since I returned from winter break, Ive been slacking off going to church and I want to take this chance to get back closer to the church again. Today is ash wednesday, I am going to go to confession and also to mass to get ashes and starting today I am giving up facebook for lent. The next 40 days might be hard, but I think it will be a really meaningful sacrifice. After spring break I want to be more productive, remember
to go to mass on sundays, go to the gym and eat healthier…I guess these are my lent resolutions. In my sacrifice and in my self denial-- I hope to think to God and remember to pray for people are so reliant on things which are way less important than faith. I want to pray for all the people who go to confession and go to get ashes. I want to pray for those who go to mass every week, just today, or not at all. I pray for those who are ignorant. I pray for those who choose to be agressive. I pray for those who choose to be assertive. I pray for those who chose to poke fun at or attack religious observation, for they do not understand their sins. I pray for those who do not understand, and those who do. But I would really like to  pray for those who do not believe. Faith has given me strength and comfort and power, and I pray for all that lack these. I still cannot believe there are people who do not at least know what ash wednesday is and I also pray that the people who choose to attack Catholics on this day realise the error of their ways.

"Pray For You"

Things were going great '˜til they fell apart again
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do
He said you cant go hating others who have done wrong to you.
Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn.
Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them.

We must have the strength to forgive those who have tresspassed us and pray to the Lord to lead us away from temptations. We must free ourself of sin and strive to live a life closer to God. Praying each day for all God's people. Remembering that everyone makes mistakes and that each and every one of us are works in progress. To remember the story of the Lord, where the Sinner is loved more by God than those who act pious. We must remember to lead lives of faith and hope that others do the same.

Dancing in the Rain

February 28, 2011

My favorite thing in the world is my ability to laugh and to make other’s laugh. Experiencing and sharing happiness is what I have found to be the most valuable gift we have been given in this world.

Since the superbowl, I have been reminded how amazing the song "Where is the Love" by the black-eyed peas is and believe that everyone should take the time to listen to the lyrics and really consider this message.

My Ideals of Humanity

1. Laughter

2. Kindness

3. Love

4. Understanding

5. Respect

6. Compassion

7. Generousity

8. Responsibility

9. Friendship

10. Peace

11. Faith

12. Hope

13. Ability to Forgive

14. Ability to Endure

15. Ability to Succeed

Today I saw a quote which I think describes how I embrace life very well:

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass its about learning to dance in the rain”

I believe It is only right for me to set goals for myself--because Heaven forbid I take life to seriously and waste time looking at the glass half empty and miss out on all the fun of life:

I, Amelia Houghton, want to be Optimistic when everyone else is pessimistic.

I, Amelia Houghton, will always lose sight of and challange the bounds of reality.

I, Amelia Houghton, embrace life for its ups and downs.

I, Amelia Houghton, will live for the little things as well as the big things in life.
I, Amelia Houghton, will laugh at myself
I, Amelia Houghton, will forgive myself and others
I, Amelia Houghton, will leave it all on the table with no regrets.
I, Amelia Houghton, will learn from my mistakes.

I, Amelia Houghton, will learn to dance in the rain.



I encourage anyone and everyone who may read this blog to challange themselves to be more optimistic and to set goals for themself so they do not take life too seriously.

When the lights of our civilization shine so brightly, we lose sight of how beautiful the stars really are

Upon reflection, I have discovered I am a bit more in touch with the natural world than many of my friends or peers. I consider myself a camp girl, no I do not claim to be ignorant to the products of our society and culture, I enjoy my i pod and social networking as much as any teen, however I do have an appreciation and respect for the world outside of mainstream society that I have been surprised to learn that many do not share. I believe in the equality of all things the whole notion of "for out of the ground we were taken as dust, and unto dust we shall return." I am not saying I do not feed off the commercialized products and food from our fellow animals, as humans, we have turned our cheek to the fellow-ship of animals--honoring them in zoos and in natural history museums, however it is how we are acustomed. We are so enveloped in society it is not possible to live free of culture and society-- but perhaps, dear world, we are traveling to far, to close to the stark realities which Darwin made possible in his writings, that we have taken a path too close to that of our relatives Adam and Eve, that perhaps we are making so much progress that we are losing sight of something very important. I agree with Thoreau--our great walker--who said that we shall not be at home just in our land which we own, but we should be"equally at home everywhere" that "no weath can buy the requisite leisure, freedom, and independence" (thoreau) which nature can provide for us. This natural earth, there is something about it, it has sustained us for so long, yet we cannot be quick enough to make it more and more artificial. And what will happen then? Thoreau also suggests that the "absolute freesom and wilderness [is] contrasted with a freesom and culture merely civil" (thoreau). Human culture and civilization is completely different than the natural world. The freedom we believe we are making for ourselves with our computers and technology is perhaps desensitizing us to the natural world which has supported us and been sustained for so long. The more knowledge we gain, the more insatiable we become when perhaps the most pure happiness exists where we are simply observers in the world, enjoying what is natural. I would give up my commericialized world to live at camp and in a "bubble" from the reality of culture in a heartbeat. The most beautiful times I have experienced have been when cut off from technology and from society. As humans are working harder and harder to improve life with advances we are destroying the balance in life and the gifts nature present to us. Thoreau states in his time that "all man's improvements...make it more and more cheap" (thoreau) and humans have only continued to create artifice and strive in a direction to make them the most advanced, most intelligent, most dominant species. We are striving close to Darwin's idea that people shall not reproduce if they will put their offspring at a disadvantage, and that things shall be ennineered for the good of the progress of humans as a species. But the further we get wrapped up in our artificial world, the more difficult it is to go back to the communion which lies burried underneath our dominion. The more we build our species up, the more we lose touch with the beauties of nature and being.Thoreau asked humans a question "When we walk, we naturally go to the fields and woods: what would become of us, if we walked only in a garden or mall" (Walking)? We have let Thoreau down, there are people who find their piece among the commercial centers, pacing under the bright lights and among the music and hustle of the world. If we walk in malls, we are infusing ourself with malls and allowing ourselves to be bound by society. While I love my trips to these places as much as any teen, you must stop and wonder where you are going and remain in touch with where we have been. Is the success for our species putting ourselves into an artificial isolation which we view as one of the elite beings of earth, or is it to be in bliss with the things around us? Luther Standing Bear offers an idea of what has happened to our culture in Nature, he talks about how when the white man came to the americas, he had such a different view than the natives. "The white man has put a distance between himself and nature; and assuming a lofty place in the scheme of the order of things, has lost for him both reverence and understanding" (Bear). In the 1930s, Bear knew of this tendency, and where society was heading. I do not think it is possible for us to abolish our progress, it is of human nature to continue to search and look for more--perhaps a curse remaining still from Adam and Eve who ate from the tree of knowledge, however, we cannot lose sight of the true value of our roots. We cannot let the lights of civilization shine so brightly that we can no longer see the beauty of the stars. I might not be able to succeed in being a complete naturalist, but I am a naturalist nevertheless in that I can see the flaws in society and I choose to try and better myself by keeping a connection still with the natural world. When I have been upset or lonely, I am one to go outside and lay by the creek under a tree and listen to the wind blow. Sometimes I wish that another person would have the sense to come find me and keep me company and then I realise that the strength I find in nature must be my company. When humans fail on me I shall always have the earth. Bear says that his native people "learned to sit or lie on the ground and become conscious of the life about us in its multitude of forms." We must know that life will be traveling in every direction, possibly we may become an advocate and try to stop the path of society, but for starters, we are each responsible to kindle the connection we have with the world above the responsibility to change the path of society. Why do you laugh when I say I went and sat under a tree looking at the sky for an hour? Is it that silly? The form of life you have connection with is not as broad as mine, and maybe one day you shall be able to kindle it, I hope for your sake, but to me, nature has a beauty and an awe which you must be a fool not to realise. I do not say go rid yourself of your posessions and live off the grid, simply, take the time to learn about nature and its beauty and then while tending to the many forms of your life, do not let one step over the other and block out the awe of the sun, stars, moon, and wind.

The Loner Tables

Is eating about meeting your needs or has it become a social exclusivity? Originally, cavemen, I assume, would come back with their prize kills and everyone would gather round and devour the food until it was gone, however, somewhere along the way it got more civil, and possibly more exclusive? Why is it that no one walks into a restaurant and eats alone? Sure maybe a panera or subway you might, but generally, we feel obligated to take our food somewhere where we are out of the lights of others when we are alone. In a childish way, we almost fear the feeling of walking into the densely packed cafeteria at lunchtime by ourselves. You always notice the person who is eating alone and feel bad. It doesn't mean they don't have any friends. I guess it is somewhat more acceptable for breakfast, and also more acceptable when you have something to look at or work on, so you look like you're doing something. I figured that this would be a very lonely dinner today, sitting by myself eating, because as it seems there are many who plan special meals with others, exclusive to themselves. Dare me not encroach upon a friend and her friend upon a meal out of fear that I am ruining their plans. So as it turns out, human reaction is to take away to somewhere where others cannot judge you, first human instinct. The upstairs cafe has become a less formal library and also the home of the lone, the area designated for the person who had the misfortune of having a class at the time most of their friends went to eat or the person who simply has no patience to walk back to their room and find someone who would like to come eat with them. It turns out there are a lot of loners, they all act busy, yes, its something they need to do, but does it really need to take priority to the short meal? Probably not. Its comfort, you are away from the judgemental eye of groups, and free from the judgement of others.

We are motivated by comfort, by emotions, by touch, by happy and sad and angry. We are motivated by the serotonin and acedylcholine in our brains passing through the synapses in our brain. People are always watching us, you walk into your class, everyone is already in their seats, how the hell did they all get there so quickly?? You don't realise that the professor has stepped out of the room, perhaps to fix her hair (or wig) or perhaps to grab a coffee or sip of water, but there is a handout on the front table, which maybe completely necessary for your understanding of the course, the class, or another aspect of you education and being, but no one tells you. As the teacher begins class, you realise you never picked up this essential piece of information. Do you walk up in front of the class or do you sit and hope it is not too important? Do you wait until the end of class and ask the professor for one privately or do you silently agree to yourself that you will photocopy your friend's later? I think these little things are the small accomplishments or compromises which define your very person. I walked up in front of the class and took the packet and sat back down. Turns out, there was no sign on my back, or at least not one that I found, there was no unsightly stain on my jeans, the world did not end, class went on, and I, Amelia Houghton, had my essential packet for psychology. Maybe in the past I would have waited, but why compromise yourself because you are in the face of others. At the end of the day, it is you who will either succeed or fail.

Why has life become a game of avoiding the mocking of others and of finding things to share with others. Why is it necessary to point out the one girl who showed up to the assembly late and cannot find her friends. She is trying at least, and once she sits down, she will be with her friends and accomplished, perhaps she just returned to campus after waiting at the hospital for the results of her father's open heart surgery. Who are we to judge her? People sometimes get caught up in watching the world around them go, when truly they should be sharing in the world as much as anyone else. People watching is a favorite pastime of mine, it intrigues me to watch people and the things that they do. Currently there is a guy, work boots, light wash jeans, red, black and grey ski coat and glasses who is leaning against a wall in the middle of the cafe where people get the food, he is on the phone, he doesn't feel uncomfortable, from what I can tell, so who am I to wonder why he does not walk outside or somewhere more private to take the call? He was waiting for his friend to get food, neither he or his friend will eat alone.

Why must we pass judgement about others? Why must we judge them and their ways, why is it fun to make fun of their faults. Hey its okay if you don't know how to work a humidifier or you think that its going to squirt water everywhere, its okay if you dont know how to pronounce the word vigilence when you are asked to read out loud, its okay if you forgot about someone's birthday. Its okay if you are stubborn and you keep hoping life will turn out like a fairytale, its okay to hope for your prince, its okay to make wishes on eyelashes, its okay to hope for things. Life is about trial and error, you learn, how will you learn if you dont ever try, we learn from mistakes, so mistakes will be made. But we must keep hope, without hope, there is nothing. We must live for the purporse of life itself, that although life might come down on us heavily at times, we must live knowing there are better times. Living for the mystery, living for the good times, living to learn from the bad times, Living, Loving, Hoping, Learning.

"You're going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it's always their actions you should judge them by. It's actions, not words, that matter."
— Nicholas Sparks

 

Live life doing the things which you want to define you. When you look at your life story, dont have regrets, cross bridges when you come to them, but don't burn them, look at everyday like you're a hero in a comic book and show compassion even when others show disdain.