Second Visit of Service Learning

Today as usual, I sign up in the office and went to the class. When I got there the kids where so happy to see me but they where asking why didn’t I come the day before. I had to explain that I didn’t have a car and I had to come with my friend whenever she has time to come. One of the kids named Isaac asked me, why I don’t buy a car, if they are free, but only the ones that are outside the store. Since they were in the playground, I played with them hide and seek. They were having so much fun!

After the play ground, we entered the class room for homework time. Every kid sat on their corresponding places and took out their homework. As usual I sat on the last table with Yesenia and later on Seth came to our table. I helped them finish all the homework on time. Later on the kids were given paper and crayons for them to color; we even played Tic Tac Toe. They gave me some of the drawings they made.

It was lunch time and they all formed a line to go to the cafeteria. Yesenia grabbed me and asked me to have lunch with her. We went back to the classroom to have lunch. I sat on the middle table with my friend and the rest of the kids that still were there because by that time most of the kids left already. When we finished eating there were only three kids left, Giorgio, Yesenia and Elizabeth. The teacher gave them blocks for them to play. A few minutes later I decided to make a competition for the tallest tower. They were super excited to create the tallest tower. At the end Giorgio and I had the tallest tower and we won and it was a lot of fun.

It was as much fun as the first time, but this time I was more comfortable with the place. The sense of fear that I had the first time I visit was no longer with me. This time I felt that I belonged there and everything seemed familiar. I was very happy not just for being there but to be part of that little community. When I am there it’s a feeling that can not be describe with words, you have to go and experience it for yourself to understand what I feel. It‘s a feeling of joy combined with feeling that you get when you know you have done something good.

This second visit made me realized that once you get comfortable with a certain environment it makes you want to come back. Being a part of different places and being able to adapt to it, it’s amazing. This reflection made me think about Ishmael and some of the discussions we had during the semester in class. For example the book Ishmael talks about different environments and self adaptation. I think that some of the theories that Ishmael talks about contradict with this experience that I had because he says that the only way or better yet the right way of living is the leaver’s way. What I have noticed is that anybody can adapt to any environment and live happily, there isn’t a specific way of living.