Dear Reader ,

I, STUDENT_NAME believe that community service should in fact be required for all students.

My parents taught me to respect and appreciate all that I have, and personally I don't think some of the students here at SCHOOL_NAME, appreciate what they have. To tell you the truth myself and people my age or older, always want something more than what they already have. Over the past year or so, I've learned how blessed I am just to have a family and a house, or even food to eat { and a variety of it}. I used to just want every little thing I saw in the store, or on

TV, or even what my friends had. But truthfully, it really doesn't matter if you so called rock polo, or Abercrombie, or Hollister. Some people I know are like that and that really disturbs me, how people live based on what others say or do. That's just being trifling. I've also realized that I can't care about how people say I look, etc. , because beauty's only skin deep. Sometimes, some people really do want to help people but their constantly worrying about what their friends are going to think. If students were forced to do community service they may not personally like it, but it would change their way of thinking , and teach them to appreciate what they have. My grandmother is currently sick in a nursing physility, and I used to hate hanging around the elderly, but I see now, how it is to have someone you love not be able to wash themselves up, etc. But visiting my grandmother in the nursing home, makes me wake up everyday and think about how I have the active use of my limbs, and don't have to have someone help me get dressed and everything. Every time, I think about it, it just makes me even more grateful for what I have. This experience is also helping me learn about the elderly, and want to spend time with my grandmother. Even though she can't remember things anymore {because of dimmensia} , I sit and talk to her to let her know that I care, and whatever she has to say, even if it takes all day I'm always listening. It hurts me knowing that she's in the nursing home dying of cancer, but I'm truly proud of my mom going to take care of her everyday.

If people my age took the time out to think about these kinds of things, it would change their way of thinking!!!

Sincerely,

STUDENT_NAME