Sep 11 2012
It All Starts with One
I always remember hearing people say that one person can make a difference, but I thought it to be so cliché and untrue. I thought the only way people had an influence and made change was with power and money. I proved myself wrong. My high school had never recycled, anything. That includes paper, plastic, aluminum or anything else that can go into a recycling bin. I was so bothered by this because I grew up in a household where recycling was second nature. I decided that I had to do something about this issue in my school, and would do anything to get a recycling program started. It definitely wasn’t easy, and it took a long time, but I never backed down. Over time I found more and more people who wanted to help me achieve my goal, and after speaking to many administrators and community officials we were able to implement a program in my high school. I wouldn’t have been able to be successful without all the people who were standing beside me, helping me along the way. But I also wouldn’t have been successful if I didn’t stand up and do something in the first place. And that’s when I realized that one person does make a difference. If someone has an idea for change but doesn’t have any passion, then nothing will happen and life will go on. It’s not as easy as it sounds, and at many times people want to quit, but it is worth it in the end. My epiphany helped shape me into the person I am today and has made me more confident and driven knowing that I can do anything if I really set my mind to it. Just as this one small plastic bottle helps make a large difference in the world, so do I.
You have no idea how happy I was to hear that someone else came from a high school where there was no recycling program – and then did something about it. With this “green age” that we’re trying to break into, you’d assume that places like schools and public buildings would be equipped to deal with cans, papers, trash, the works, when in reality they’re not. The worst part is that people aren’t exactly interested in trying to start a recycling program, and I can only imagine how many people were uninterested in your cause. It takes a strong, dedicated person to get something as important as this done on such a large scale, and I applaud your sense of understanding that it wouldn’t have been done had you not individually stepped up. You’re right, it takes a group, but it usually starts with one person and one idea. Keep fighting the green fight~
Thanks so much Brian! Sometimes it’s hard for people to understand the trials and great efforts it took for me to get it started. It’s nice to know that someone realizes all the effort that goes into it. And I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing because that’s not the type of person I am. I have to act on things that I want to be changed, and I hope that people learn from my experience and do the same as well.