Emma Lundgren

Professor Lisa Packer

English 2010

1 September 2019

Service: Love or Obligation?

June 13 was a humid and warm day in Jackson, Tennessee. My friend Kelea and I had

just gone to Walmart to pick up a DVD player, and a restaurant to pick up some lunch and Italian

ices. We were a long way from home. We were there for a family wedding but mostly a relaxing

vacation. However, in Tennessee I learned a lot more about service than I ever expected I would.

Kelea and I are on our way back to the hotel for a mostly relaxing day watching movies

when all of a sudden, BANG, there is a giant explosion and a lot of confusion. I can’t breathe.

I’m sticky, wet, and confused. I can’t breathe. What happened? I can’t breathe, I need to roll

down a window. We had been in a car accident.

911 was called. The response time seemed like they were just two minutes away, time is

a very funny thing during trauma though. All real concept of time is gone. The officers were less

than helpful and somewhat rude. They were dismissive, cold, and uninterested in our story of

what happened. The emergency medical technicians weren’t much better. We were in shock and

likely would not have felt any serious injuries. We just seemed like another call to get through.

Get the information and get out seemed to be their mission. They were serving out of obligation.
 Service out of obligation versus service out of love has a very different feel. My aunt and

uncle and family, as well as my cousin’s new in-laws were willing to drop everything to help us

with rides wherever we needed, food, ibuprofen, Tylenol, as well as we were given compression

socks to help with swelling and stabilization of our ankles. Although we spent a lot of time in our

hotel room for the rest of the trip we never truly felt alone in our struggle.

We were so grateful for loving service, it made a terrible situation bearable. We learned

lessons on service and the better way to do it. Service out of love and service out of obligation

have a totally different feel and take away from the opportunity. I work in the healthcare field

and though sometimes service out of obligation is easier, I try to look at the person I am serving

and why I want to do it. My perspective has definitely changed. Always serve out of love not

because you are paid for it or obligated to do so.