Letter to a teacher

I spent the last few hours thinking about my choice in community service. I thought about if it really is community service. I drove away from school that day believing that giving free horse back riding lessons was not. However, the more I thought about it and talked to the mom of the girl who I would be giving lessons to, I realized it was. I was helping out a random stranger, a 9 year old girl reach her dream. Her mother can't afford lessons and me giving her free lessons has made her really happy and has made her little girl reach the dream of being a cowgirl. You mentioned that teaching mentally disabled kids would be community service. How is teaching a little girl who cant afford lessons any different? You also mentioned that I shouldn't choose a community service that is a profession. 

While looking for other things to do, I realized that pretty much all community service is a job. When I attended emerald ridge high school, I was in an interact and key club and did lots of community service. I sold hot dogs...hot dog vendors would say its a job. I cleaned horse stalls...a groomer would say that is a job. I cleaned up our school campus...the custodian would say that is a job. 

You also asked me what I think community service is. I didn't have an answer. I thought about it and I believe that community service is helping out our community and feeling rewarded, but not being rewarded. Taking time out of our busy lives to help someone else that we don't know. I feel like if I gave lessons to this little girl, her dream would come true and I would be part of that. I am taking every Saturday morning off for the next 2 and a half months to help this girl reach her dream. That means me asking my boss for Saturday mornings off. It means not staying up late on Friday nights with friends. I am making sacrifices for this girl.  Google defines community service as, "Voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area.

Unpaid work, intended to be of social use, that an offender is required to do instead of going to prison." I believe my idea for the require 10 hours covers this definition. Obviously, not the required to do instead of going to prison part, but I am voluntarily working to help a 9 year old girl reach her dream. Not getting paid, but feeling good about myself. Now, you may not believe that giving free lessons is real community service, but I believe that it is. You aren't the only one who signed my paper, but you are the only one who had a problem with it. The only one who lectured me on community service and made me walk away, thinking about calling the girls mom to tell her "no." although I couldn't do it, so wether you allow me to do this as my community service or not, I will give this girl free lessons, because I can't break a little girls heart like you can break a seniors heart.