Grant Stoneman

EXPL 292
1-25-16
Reflection #1
Reflection #1
I was first introduced to service in high school. As part of my
education at the private school I attended, we were set up to serve the
community around us. Our school was built in West Chicago, even
though the name of our school was Wheaton Academy. Hispanics
largely populated the West Chicago community. In my junior year of
high school, the 200 of us in our junior class were split up to either
work the day at the local community park, local daycare or help out at
the Feed My Starving Children satellite near us. I was selected to work
at the local daycare, which was in a large apartment complex. My
group was given instruction to clean up the room and help out with any
handy work they need done. So basically we cleaned all day, which
was nice because the classroom was spotless by the time we were
done. It felt good to help out like that.
Another opportunity I was given was to teach/play with children
at an after school program near my school for the last few years of my
high school career. It was a show up when ever you were able to basis.
So I went when I didnt have conflicts with soccer or school. The

children seemed so grateful and happy to be able to play with an older

person.
Lastly, this past year I attended the University of WisconsinMadison and played on their mens soccer team. We would leave the
campus on buses and go around the surrounding community to go
hangout and coach younger kids, five year olds and up. These kids
would look at us like movie stars. They were in love with soccer and
were able to hangout with actual college soccer players and it was
always amazing to see their faces light up every time we showed up.
They were always so grateful.
In each and every one of these service events in my life, I
approached it with the attitude of, its the right thing to do, and from
Adam Daviss article, all of the reasons. We are Gods children; we
share the earth; I find myself in you; I win praise by serving you; and
finally I suck (Davis, 3). I found myself thinking about of these things.
Maybe not necessarily these exact reasons, but variations. I went to a
private, Protestant based, high school so we would always pray for the
people we were serving. I lived where these people were living, but just
in a better situation so I was sharing the earth with them. I saw my
young self when I was coaching the younger soccer players. I saw
praise from the parents of the children at daycare or when I was
coaching them. And finally, I am a sinner so doing this service, I

thought hypothetically made up for my sins which is the wrong mind

set but I tended to think like that.
After reading the article that was assigned, I was a little
skeptical. I had to read it over multiple times. The first time I read it, I
got the idea that he was trying to convince the reader that service was
in some sort of way, bad. But after re-reading, I finally understood it.
He informs the reader about what service has turned into, and how by
not talking about it, it has turned bad.
Some communal issues brought up in the article were about
inequality, improving self worth and thinking service is simple. First,
Adam Davis brings up the notion that, we cherish inequality (Davis,
6). He talks about how we all end, pass away equally, but we our
beginnings couldnt be more different. We may be born into money, or
born into none. The quote, they also set out to bridge a gap, to
remedy the consequences of inequality (Davis, 6), shows us that we
think we are doing good when we serve but in reality we are just
improving the conditions that they find themselves. The people that
have more money and resources should step forward and close the gap
that was created.
Another issue I thought he brought up in community was the
thought that someone serves to boost their ego. You chose to help
someone else so they should be grateful that you are going out of your
way to help them out. Davis says, Serving you, I confirm my relative

superiority. Being served, you confirm your inferiority. By my apparent

act of humility, I raise myself up. The happiness, as Nietzsche writes,
of slight superiority, only we dont say so (Davis, 5). This is the
wrong way think we need to change the way we think about serving
and to do so we need to talk about it more.
Lastly, thinking service is simple is an issue. By when we think its
simple, its just another action we add to our list of everyday duties. But
in reality we are changing someones life, even in the smallest way.
When we serve we are helping them live a better life and thats not
something you should take lightly. Just like Davis was saying, service is
not simple, It may originate as a salutary burden, for it derives from
and endeavors to satisfy our aspiration to live more justly, to do right
by those we are with and among. But it remains a burden, and the less
we acknowledge it, the heavier it gets (Davis, 7) and I couldnt agree
more.
Overall, this makes service complicated because of this quote,
Instead I want to suggest that inequality is present and in many ways
desired and that this accounts in large part for the fact that service is
not simple (SINS), no matter what we pretend (Davis, 7). It isnt just
an everyday activity; its more than that.