SameerHussain
Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2014
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- Pakistan
Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
ESSAY:
Walking out of my school gate one day, I noticed a very old man sitting alone under our schools massive oak tree. The ancient-looking man had a fringe of silver hair around his balding, mottled scalp. His rag-like clothes looked as though they had not been washed in years. His wizened face had a certain restlessness on it while he sat on his wheelchair, which was easily as weak and decrepit as he was. The resigned look on his face was even worse to see; one of a man who knows that at his age life has stopped giving and only takes away.
I could not imagine a worse scenario for a person to be in and decided to make an effort to help him. Therefore, I talked to a few of my friends regarding the man. No one seemed interested and all of them had the same feeble excuse. “We can’t help him. We’re just a bunch of teenagers who can barely take care of ourselves, let alone save an old guy. I’ve seen him and trust me, he’s beyond saving!”
Everyone I talked to, family, friends or strangers, did not take me seriously. Like in most places in the world, teenagers are considered as people who are easily influenced by everything they see and listen to. People refuse to think that we can make a positive difference to society.
I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started small, giving him my lunch money everyday after school. After that, I started saving up. Eventually, I had enough money to buy him new clothes. I managed to help him every now and again and although he never said much, I could tell that he appreciated my efforts. We even chatted a bit about each other’s lives. He never wanted to mention his family and although I was curious , I could understood why he never wanted to talk about it. He said that he’d been living this way for the past 5 years, hoping to find some help, and bar a few small donations here and there, people usually never cared. He was on the verge of tears. This was, without doubt, one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life. This man was a prime example of someone who had been ruined by our society’s lack of care for people who, according to it, did not matter.
Several months passed by and it seemed like I was the only one trying to make a difference for the old man. Then, one day, he stopped coming. I began to fear the worst. After all, exactly how long could a 80-year-old man live on the street without getting seriously ill? Perhaps, he was beyond saving after all. However, what happened afterwards was hugely satisfying.
It turned out that someone else, probably a parent of a school kid, had seen the old man at school and decided to take full responsibility for him. Everything had been taken care off, ranging from medical care and food to a place for him to live. He had been enrolled in a senior citizens home and when I paid him a visit, I was delighted by all the care he was getting. He expressed his gratitude and even went as far as saying that I was the reason he managed to get all this help. Apparently, the man who decided to take care of him, saw me helping him over the past few months and finally decided to do something more permanent for him. I felt satisfied and content with the fact that my seemingly insignificant contribution made a difference. I managed to show with my actions that we teenagers can do something for a deserving member of the community. My decision to help the man is one that I would never hesitate in making again, even if the result is not as worthwhile.
ESSAY:
Walking out of my school gate one day, I noticed a very old man sitting alone under our schools massive oak tree. The ancient-looking man had a fringe of silver hair around his balding, mottled scalp. His rag-like clothes looked as though they had not been washed in years. His wizened face had a certain restlessness on it while he sat on his wheelchair, which was easily as weak and decrepit as he was. The resigned look on his face was even worse to see; one of a man who knows that at his age life has stopped giving and only takes away.
I could not imagine a worse scenario for a person to be in and decided to make an effort to help him. Therefore, I talked to a few of my friends regarding the man. No one seemed interested and all of them had the same feeble excuse. “We can’t help him. We’re just a bunch of teenagers who can barely take care of ourselves, let alone save an old guy. I’ve seen him and trust me, he’s beyond saving!”
Everyone I talked to, family, friends or strangers, did not take me seriously. Like in most places in the world, teenagers are considered as people who are easily influenced by everything they see and listen to. People refuse to think that we can make a positive difference to society.
I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started small, giving him my lunch money everyday after school. After that, I started saving up. Eventually, I had enough money to buy him new clothes. I managed to help him every now and again and although he never said much, I could tell that he appreciated my efforts. We even chatted a bit about each other’s lives. He never wanted to mention his family and although I was curious , I could understood why he never wanted to talk about it. He said that he’d been living this way for the past 5 years, hoping to find some help, and bar a few small donations here and there, people usually never cared. He was on the verge of tears. This was, without doubt, one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life. This man was a prime example of someone who had been ruined by our society’s lack of care for people who, according to it, did not matter.
Several months passed by and it seemed like I was the only one trying to make a difference for the old man. Then, one day, he stopped coming. I began to fear the worst. After all, exactly how long could a 80-year-old man live on the street without getting seriously ill? Perhaps, he was beyond saving after all. However, what happened afterwards was hugely satisfying.
It turned out that someone else, probably a parent of a school kid, had seen the old man at school and decided to take full responsibility for him. Everything had been taken care off, ranging from medical care and food to a place for him to live. He had been enrolled in a senior citizens home and when I paid him a visit, I was delighted by all the care he was getting. He expressed his gratitude and even went as far as saying that I was the reason he managed to get all this help. Apparently, the man who decided to take care of him, saw me helping him over the past few months and finally decided to do something more permanent for him. I felt satisfied and content with the fact that my seemingly insignificant contribution made a difference. I managed to show with my actions that we teenagers can do something for a deserving member of the community. My decision to help the man is one that I would never hesitate in making again, even if the result is not as worthwhile.
