A Spark for Change: Cleaning Up

sparkforchange rotator3Hi, everyone.

Growing up, my parents always told me that when I visited somewhere I was to leave it in better condition than when I first arrived. As a kid, I took it on a literal level like I did with everything else. As I grew up and became more of an English brain, I realized how this is an extended metaphor for life. Now, it has become one of the greatest lessons my parents could have instilled in me.

I don't have children yet, but I often dream about the day I finally do. I know how much I love my niece, brand new nephew, and the 100+ students who sit in my classroom each day, and I know how much I want for them as they continue on with their amazing lives. Because of that, I see it as my duty to leave the world in better shape than when I came into it. It's everyone's duty...for them.

We all have a different skill set, and the world needs us to fulfill many different roles. I was never meant to be a world leader, and I am quite okay with that; however, we each, no matter what our role is, have a responsibility to give something positive to this world. Too often, people expect the world to be given to them, but it truly is meant to be the other way around. We should be giving to the world. What are you doing to make a better life for yourself and others? If you don’t leave anything to be remembered for, your legacy will fade quickly. If you leave a positive mark, you'll be carried on for generations.

Simply being kind and helping instill this in others is success enough for me. Encouraging and helping young people to be everything they dream of is enough. We need to create a world that accepts others no matter what they look like, who they love, what gender they are, or what religion they follow. It’s time to have a place where everyone is given the same chance to succeed and where people are judged solely by their character. The younger generations should not still have to fight these battles.

I can tell you that the next generation is full of incredible young adults. I have students in my classes at LPHS who want to be world leaders, doctors, activists, humanists, writers, teachers, artists, caregivers, and anything else you can imagine. They have endless talents and dreams that deserve every chance to be fulfilled. I look at their faces every day and want them to have the best opportunities possible to make it happen, but I know much of that falls on us setting up these chances and cleaning up the messes that we and the ones before us made.

Let's all chip in and see what we can do. Find what works for you, and do it. Let's all plan to leave the world in better shape than when we arrived. Be quicker to give than receive. Make your mark. The kids of La Porte County and the world are depending on us. I don't know about you, but I will do anything not to let them down.

Go do great things,

EP

*Since I mentioned leaving behind a lasting legacy, your task is to leave a lesson passed down to you from a family member that has stuck with you and could benefit others.