Independent Component 1

Link to calender >> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ahlit3G12AC_dEl2TGhMaFA1MjdiUnc4OGdfd0RzNWc

Literal

(a) Statement saying: “I, Emanuel Anthony Cortes, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

(b) Since the time I began my service learning at the convalescent home in Covina, I have been running the activities for the seniors. The games consisted of Bingo, holiday celebrations. card games and many more affiliated activities to keep the seniors entertained. My job as a volunteer there would also consist of spending time with each and every senior citiizen there and make them feel loved. It sounds like an easy job but it is not. Some seniors have grown to hate or are depressed, etc. When lunch hour would come along, we would distribute the food to each senior citizen making sure they got the correct plate as well as setting up and clearing the tables for new games or lunch time.I would also take them to their rooms if they asked me too or they would ask me to call their nurse for them.

Interpretive

How did I accumlate to thirty of hours of work you say? Well thankfully, I was always put up to busy tasks that made the hours go by quickly. Playing exciting games with the seniors really made time go fast. It's like they say, "When you're having fun, you lose track of time." At times, I felt extreme sorrow for these seniors so I would stay longer because I wanted to keep them company. One day, one of them told me, "I'm so happy you're here." That really got to me. I had this particular senior that wanted to go outside so I took her and we just stood there basking in the sun while we talked about her whole life. It was a memorable moment for sure.

Applied

"People will forget what you said. They'll even forget what you did. But they'll never forget how you made them feel."-Maya Angelou

Working at the senior home has taught me to be nothing but sincere and empathetic no matter the circumstances there; you always have to give them a hand. You need to understand what they might be going through. The things you might say or do can hurt them without knowing it. For example, I was passing out 12 cards to each senior citizen and I usuallly start at the right side of the table and this time I started on the left side and one of them named Doris, yelled at me and said why did I skip her. I told her I didn't that I was going to get to her and I would never skip her. She got mad and said she doesn't want to play anymore and I tried to apologize but she didn't accept my apology. Moral of this story is, no matter how small the situation might be, you  need acknowledge they're feelings and make them feel important.