Sundays :: Personal Narrative Child Abuse Essays

Sundays My mother has always lived her life helping others. That is why it came as no surprise when she set out on a one woman quest to turn her children into avid-volunteers and general bidders of good will. Around the age of ten, she decided that it was time for me to step out and do my part to start saving the world. At the time, being an every day hero was the last thing on my mind, and in my eyes it was much more of a chore than an opportunity. As time went on however, it began to open my eyes to my own life and the lives of others. â€Å"It’s good for you; it will keep you out of trouble;† those were her famous words. So on life went, as I spent year after year testing the rough waters of one service project after another. I had no choice in the matter. It was her belief that I was to always be busy. A life spent wasting my time away having FUN was just not acceptable. She even went so far as to sign me up to serve my time in the local small-town library in Sandy Pond, New York, while we were there on vacation. I knew I was doomed. As I got bored with one project, I would move on to the next endeavor. In four years, I had become a registered volunteer in three libraries, a hospital, the Special Olympics, the New Times 10K, Grand Canyon State Games, a homeless shelter, and the Race for the Cure. In each new challenge, I was there more to please my mother than to please myself. Lost in the jumble of good deeds and service hours, I eventually stumbled upon a small organization called the Child Crisis Center. Just like all the others, it started off with the same famous phrase. â€Å"It’s good for you; it will keep you out of trouble.† I can still remember my first day. I passed through the endless security doors, and my nose scrunched in horror from a stench that was a mix between a hospital and a playpen.