PLAN OF ACTION

I was not expecting to come away from this class learning so much about social issues, culture, family and even boarders. I did not think it would go this in depth, but I am glad it did. It gave a new perspective on the world. This was by far the best class I took this quarter because it opened my eyes to new issues I did not even know were present. The books were excellent in grabbing my attention and teaching about issues around the world in the eyes of a child. It was gripping. Although, sad and violent at times. The books that caught my attention most were Sold and A Long Way Gone. These two books were very detailed and brought out the realities of the situations these children were in. While reading these books, the one idea I could not get over was how young these children were. I couldn’t believe that they had to go through these horrible instances because of war and family reasons. It did not settle with me well. When I was around age twelve I was not worried about supporting my family or worried about being kid napped and taken by the rough military. These are issues that children should not be in the middle of or worrying about, and it was shocking that this was just another part of life for them. It really hit me when our guest speaker, Sean, came in because he explained what the children were going through in these war zones in different countries. He stated it best when he explained that we do not realize what is really going on around the world until it is right in front of you. Sure we hear some of the situations on the news but they aren’t giving the whole story. It is a reality shock when someone is put in another country and in a war zone. It is stories like these that allow us to realize the true issues of today’s society. And this is what I appreciated about these books the most; it gave a realistic example of the true actuality of what is being faced in the world.

The books and the speakers, especially, helped me realize I need to learn to understand the issues that are being faced around the world. It struck me that my problems aren’t so big, and that people and children younger than me are going through more than I will ever imagine in my lifetime. This is something that needed to be learned and accepted. Knowing that I can help out in some way makes it that much stronger of a lesson. Reading these books reaffirmed my passion for wanting to work with kids in my future. And for my Plan of Action, I will be volunteering for the Make-A-Wish Foundation starting this summer. I want to be able to make a positive difference in these children’s lives. They should not have to go through these tragic changes in their lives at such a young. I believe this opportunity will allow me to understand where they are coming from and how helpful this work means to them. I am so happy I got the chance to pick up these books and listen to these speakers because without them I would still be naïve about global issues around the world, and it reaffirmed my passion for what I want to pursue in life.