Appreciation for the Little Things in Life Essay
Appreciation for the Little Things in Life Ever taken something for granted? Whether it is a day when the sun is out and the cool air counters the relentless heat, or a solid friendship that has been intact since childhood, or an opportunity that leads to an eventful and memorable future. I can say that I have taken numerous things for granted; however, feelings of satisfaction surface as I recount an experience in my life that gave me the opportunity to be productive for the benefit of myself and others.
Along with this opportunity, came the chance to truly appreciate those who have encouraged me to pursue greater things in life. It was the middle of the school year and my stress level had definitely blown the roof off. I had homework piling up, tests to study for, exams to take, and deadlines to meet. It was the typical senior year for a typical teenager. However, I would not have considered myself a typical teenager. I had participated in my class council as the vice-president and managed various events for the senior class.
Being so, that would not have been so stressful if the worst had not happened: the resignation of the president. Oh, how the building just blew up right then. It is early afternoon on July 12th and the advisors of the Class of 2012 Council orchestrated a brunch in honor of the council members’ hard work throughout the school year. As everyone begins to arrive, I sit outside the chosen restaurant awaiting the orange sign on the window to announce that it’s lunchtime.
I dive into my mind thinking about what the day will turn out to be.I don’t have to hope for a good day; it will just be one of those days. I snap out of my reverie and jump off from my elevated chair to make my way to the entrance as the sign flips around. The following day after our president resigned, I was voted into office as her successor. On day number one of my reign as president I realized that there were a lot of things that were left to take care of. Numerous members of council had resigned, so positions were left open for me to quickly get people to fill in.Meanwhile, I had to finalize decisions for the senior prom, since as the former vice-president, prom was my responsibility. On top of that, I had meetings to schedule for potential graduation planners, decorators, processional bands, and with our administrators to ensure we adhered to the relative school guidelines and graduation protocol.
This chaos, of course, was just the beginning. “You should join council again,” said Mrs. Clement at the end of my junior year. “We could use all the help we can get. These are the words I hear as I sit in my chosen booth in the center of our reserved area at Churrasco, a restaurant in Tumon that serves various forms of Brazilian meats and a buffet. I discreetly take in each of the twenty-six council members’ features to cherish and remember for forever.
These faces are the ones that have helped make the events in our senior year possible. Next, I observe the seven advisors who had steered us in the direction of success and self-satisfaction. What would I have done without these people? Months passed by as plans for graduation were finalized and set into motion.
Further into the afternoon, I began to ponder the outcome of the senior council had it remained under the lead of my predecessor, whom I will not name for obvious reasons. From observation, we were not headed in the right direction at all. Merely two weeks prior to her resignation, the main advisor pulled me outside the meeting room to discuss the possibility of taking over. As it were, I was not completely surprised. I was more so disappointed in her inability to follow through with her responsibilities from the beginning. Why didn’t she take it seriously?! No, stop.
I shake off the negative feelings and return to the scene of celebration. Since freshman year, there were two individuals who were always by my side. Angela Toves, beautiful, spunky, and creative, she was my right hand woman and the greatest friend. She had also joined council serving as an active senator. Then there was Gerald Francisco, honest, crazy, and reliable, he was my right hand man for everything.
Gerald was my trusty treasurer and the best person to go to for Wi-Fi. They would constantly be there to assist me with anything I needed and to reassure me that I was not in it alone.For every bump in the road to our goal, they were there to help me maneuver and get back on track towards graduation. The barbequed and roasted meats are being brought out on a two-foot steel pole attached to a wooden platform so the servers can place it on customers’ tables and slice their desired pieces.
Instantly, my mouth began to water. My plate consists of rice, potatoes, and veggies from the buffet table to compliment the mouth-watering culprit. All of the guests from our party are in a similar trance and I stifle a giggle and manage to compose myself before I lunge at the servers.All my manners were nearly forgotten at that moment; the animal inside of me desperately wanted out. Mr.
Nededog, a kind-hearted yet stern man, the main advisor for the senior class council, and the most amazing mentor I have encountered, had left me with an immeasurable amount of respect for him. When I was in doubt of my ability to perform the required tasks of president, he reminded me that he would be there every step of the way to support me. Not only did he serve as an advisor, he became someone I laughed and joked with about the silliest things.In between several conversations with my friends and shoving mouthfuls of tender beef and flavorful pork, I take the time to commit every scene to my memory. Mrs.
Clement, Ms. Mesa, and Senora Cruz are closely examining a piece of well-done beef on their plates before driving their forks into the juicy meat. Ms. Borja and Ms. Borja-Quichocho are laughing hysterically while Mr. Nededog fumbles with his knife as he tries to cut his food.
Simultaneously, Mrs. Pereda is pulling out a box from underneath one of the tables with concealed treasures.Two weeks until graduation and there were still ends that needed to be met. All twenty-seven council members were sent left and right to tie them up and get things rolling for the big day. Companies were called, money was appropriated for our expenses, and people were flagged down for signatures for authorization to use the money. Then, once everything was approved, checks were issued and orders were paid for.
We experienced the inevitable problems and delays that went along with planning but managed to get them under control and move on.
