This is a really rough first draft.Any feedbacks,critiques and grammatical revisions would be much appreciated!
I read the writing on the billboard as soon as I arrived, "School of Life." The name implicitly says it all, I indirectly pictured about the school that literally teaches us about life, that doesn't merely give us logarithms or algebras, that doesn't force us to calculate Newton's theory and do a myriad of homework as a daily basis. I imagined that this is a school that teaches how to live in life, how to survive better, how to be an initially good person, how to not be a burden for the society. This school is a home to the most abandoned people of the abandoned. Not only all the people here are abandoned, they are also 'gifted' with exceptional disabilities. I was here because my school had arranged a 3-day 'excursion' to this place, and I'm not here to simply drop by or to have a sight-seeing, I'm here for a significant mission, I'm here to serve them, to live with them, and to love them.
These people are not merely blind, or crippled, or deaf, most of them had severe torments that scattered their hearts, bodies, and soul caused by being unwanted and rejected by the society. My first day was quite a major shock since I have never been among such a group of mentally ill people. To be honest, I felt quite uneasy at first. We had to feed, bath and nurture those people, which is obviously not as easy as it seems. Their deeds had never failed to amuse me. Sometimes they would bang their heads to the wall for no apparent reason, sometimes they would cry and laugh in a baffling way, some of them would suddenly get naked. When I fed them, they literally would eat anything on the floor, and the most astounding thing, they would poop all over the place. As I said, none of this people were normal.
I coped with this situation for exactly 72 hours, which succeeded to create a remarkable change in my point of view. Gradually, I felt some sort of empathy to them. Maria is one of the 'student' I've been taking care of. She punched her head occasionally, and I always tried to hold her hands to prevent her deed. She also pooped all over the place that her body was coated with a stench smell. That day, I was feeding her and she was distracted as always, she was staring at some half dried scrapes on her arms, and to my surprise, she tore it up and ate it. I totally winced in pain seeing that movement and I totally felt awful. Maria casually munched it on like a cookie, she didn't even flinch a bit. I wonder how immense the pain that Maria had felt that she lost her mind and finally felt numb like this. I wonder who had caused Maria to be like this. I could not bear the sadness, I could not comprehend the fact.
This was the first time I mingled with the rejected and lost. I learned that the world has been really despicable to them. Some of them were once brokenhearted, raped, or stressed, and nothing had been able to mend their hearts. They have been irreparably broken.
I learned that people in this life need to acquire love and feel they are worthwhile. I'm lucky to be showered with love and a remarkably supportive environment. Sadly, some people are not. I learned to love and support people around me, and appreciate them as whole. 'School of life' taught me that my compassion and care was worthwhile for them. It taught me to appreciate the community. I'm eager to contribute in the community of University of Washington. I'm eager to share my values, experience and culture to enrich the community. Lastly, I initially hope that people would appreciate and be compassionate to people who are abandoned and rejected. Your presence give them hope, no matter how slight it is.
I read the writing on the billboard as soon as I arrived, "School of Life." The name implicitly says it all, I indirectly pictured about the school that literally teaches us about life, that doesn't merely give us logarithms or algebras, that doesn't force us to calculate Newton's theory and do a myriad of homework as a daily basis. I imagined that this is a school that teaches how to live in life, how to survive better, how to be an initially good person, how to not be a burden for the society. This school is a home to the most abandoned people of the abandoned. Not only all the people here are abandoned, they are also 'gifted' with exceptional disabilities. I was here because my school had arranged a 3-day 'excursion' to this place, and I'm not here to simply drop by or to have a sight-seeing, I'm here for a significant mission, I'm here to serve them, to live with them, and to love them.
These people are not merely blind, or crippled, or deaf, most of them had severe torments that scattered their hearts, bodies, and soul caused by being unwanted and rejected by the society. My first day was quite a major shock since I have never been among such a group of mentally ill people. To be honest, I felt quite uneasy at first. We had to feed, bath and nurture those people, which is obviously not as easy as it seems. Their deeds had never failed to amuse me. Sometimes they would bang their heads to the wall for no apparent reason, sometimes they would cry and laugh in a baffling way, some of them would suddenly get naked. When I fed them, they literally would eat anything on the floor, and the most astounding thing, they would poop all over the place. As I said, none of this people were normal.
I coped with this situation for exactly 72 hours, which succeeded to create a remarkable change in my point of view. Gradually, I felt some sort of empathy to them. Maria is one of the 'student' I've been taking care of. She punched her head occasionally, and I always tried to hold her hands to prevent her deed. She also pooped all over the place that her body was coated with a stench smell. That day, I was feeding her and she was distracted as always, she was staring at some half dried scrapes on her arms, and to my surprise, she tore it up and ate it. I totally winced in pain seeing that movement and I totally felt awful. Maria casually munched it on like a cookie, she didn't even flinch a bit. I wonder how immense the pain that Maria had felt that she lost her mind and finally felt numb like this. I wonder who had caused Maria to be like this. I could not bear the sadness, I could not comprehend the fact.
This was the first time I mingled with the rejected and lost. I learned that the world has been really despicable to them. Some of them were once brokenhearted, raped, or stressed, and nothing had been able to mend their hearts. They have been irreparably broken.
I learned that people in this life need to acquire love and feel they are worthwhile. I'm lucky to be showered with love and a remarkably supportive environment. Sadly, some people are not. I learned to love and support people around me, and appreciate them as whole. 'School of life' taught me that my compassion and care was worthwhile for them. It taught me to appreciate the community. I'm eager to contribute in the community of University of Washington. I'm eager to share my values, experience and culture to enrich the community. Lastly, I initially hope that people would appreciate and be compassionate to people who are abandoned and rejected. Your presence give them hope, no matter how slight it is.
