The world can be such a bizarre place. It's humourous to me because people are always complimenting me and saying that I'm a phenomenal person, yet I just feel as though I'm being a considerate human being.
For example, as a college student, I have witnessed many a black-out drunk or beyond high person. Although I, myself, have never been there, I realize that if I were in the situation, I would want another person to take care of me so that I don't fall out of a window or something.
Two nights in a row now, I have offered a helping hand to those under the collegiate weekend ailment.
Last night, I fed a black-out drunk girl (who was a total stranger to me) thin mints, water, and kept her consciously thinking and talking to me. I asked her questions about her major and tried to find her friends to take her home. Once her stomach settled and her friends were still nowhere to be found, I helped put her to bed in a safe way, making sure she was on her side and such.
And then tonight, while staying in studying (yes, I'm studying on a Friday night), I made two trips to the bathroom. On the first, I noticed a seemingly drunk girl guzzling from the sink, washed my hands, and went on my merry way, making a mental note to check on her in fifteen minutes or so. Well I did check on her, I had drank a lot of water myself and my bladder couldn't handle it. So I went back to the bathroom, this time finding the girl on the floor, under the sink. I was immediately worried. Although the girl lives in the same hallway as me, I am not close to anyone other than my roommate. We find the girls in our hall a tad bit too superficial for our liking and thus try to keep our distance. Still, I could not leave someone stranded on the floor in a state of mind I could only describe is "goop." I started talking to the girl, offering her the little food I have in my room (celery - but hey, it's water based, so it'd be good for her!), asking if she was okay and if there was anything I could do for her. Although she turned down my celery, she thanked me more times than I can count and even said I love you. After I peed, I talked to her again to make sure she was okay. She wished me luck on my studying, and I'm back in bed. Clearly a superhero (sarcasm). To be honest, I'll probably check on her again in a bit. I need to brush my teeth and wash my face anyway, so it's not a hassle to me.
In my opinion, any person should do this. It takes two seconds to ask someone "Are you okay?" and it's more than worth it, it's just being considerate. I'm not saying you have to do what I do and feed them or put them to bed, but you should at least try to reach out to someone.
So how do you be a considerate human being? By doing something nice for someone else, especially when it only takes a few minutes of your time. Such as holding a door open or asking them if they're okay.
I don't really know what I'm getting at. My Spring Break starts in a week (after a week of three exams, four tests, a giant final project, etc, etc...) and I'm supposed to be going on a service trip to volunteer as a camp counselor. I've been spending so much time studying (and helping people who are under the influence) that I haven't had any time for me. I guess I realized that the service trip is an added stress, when I really need to take a break. On top of that, there's a lot of studying that I would probably benefit from doing that week. My father has made it clear to me that he wants me to back out of the trip and focus on my school work... But does that make me a terrible person? The more I think about it, the more I think I should go on the trip. I feel obligated, yes, but I also feel like maybe spending a week helping little kids may brighten my day and relieve a bit of my stress. Maybe. I emailed the people in charge explaining my predicament and asking for advice or information that might help me to make my decision, but have yet to get a response. I also have yet to pay the second deposit because no one has given me any information on it, which is honestly stressing me out even more. I have so much that I feel as though I have to do, and all I want is to fall asleep in my boyfriend's arms.
To be a considerate human being, do I also have to be considerate to my own personal well-being? But if I drop out of a service trip, am I a bad person? Am I letting my peers down? To be a considerate human being, do I have to be considerate of them or me first?
And what really is best for me? I miss my friends. I miss relaxing. I feel so cooped up spending hours in my room studying. What did I do for myself today? I ordered my mom a book as a present. That's the kind of thing that makes me happy, making others happy. So maybe I should go on the trip and make others happy. Wouldn't that just make me happy and relieve my stress?
Maybe.
I hope so.
No comments:
Post a Comment