[First Last Name]
Psychology [Number]
[Date Month Year]
Day 1: Befriending a Stranger
One formidable obstacle when studying in foreign countries is loneliness. I’ve seen students from Asian countries negotiate through the campus alone, particularly in their first year in college. So when my free period on Wednesday came, I decided to check around the campus to look for seemingly lonely international students and see what happens should I befriend just one of them. I found a male Filipino student enrolled for the first year. He sat on one of the campus benches looking at other students milling around. So I approached him like any ordinary student approach another. I introduced myself; asked about his program; and then tried to establish a friendly conversation by asking him of his impressions of the school and the students. I could see he did not expect any student to approach him. I expected to encounter some serious obstacles in engaging him in a conversation for at least five minutes. However, he bounced back from the surprise and engaged me back with a friendly chat that impressed me for its candidness and humility. He jokes a lot too, which gave me a close look on the reputed Filipino humor. I did not expect it; but he could become a good friend later on. Who knows?
Day 2: The Old Lady’s Juice
I do not go to grocers often even to accompany my parents. I consider it uninteresting. However, on Thursday, mother asked me to drop by in the nearby grocer to purchase a few condiments and some vegetables and fruits. So I decided to find a way to help other customers shopping there. Inside the grocery, I passed through the juice drink section on my way to the vegetables section when I noticed a crooked old lady trying to take a large bottle of fruit juice from the topmost shelf. However, she was bent forward enough to make it hard for her to reach into the bottle without much effort, which, while looking at her trying, I feared might end up into an accident with a broken juice bottle. So I decided to help her by taking the juice bottle myself and give to her. Her reaction was instantaneous. She smiled with sparkling eyes and gratitude words. I could see she appreciated the gesture. However, I was not prepared for such a reaction. I thought I will not get any other than kind words from her. Instead, she smiled. So I smiled back too. I was sure he saw my surprise from my eyes. Still I managed to respond positively to her smile with a sincere smile, although with still surprised minds. Doing acts of kindness can be surprising, indeed.
Day 3: Just a Check Away
The last thing I thought I should do was to feed the homeless. I was not comfortable around them because of some fear of bacterial contamination. However, on Friday, the thought just came, challenging me to do something about this fear. I tried to ignore it; but eventually succumbed when it did not stop bothering me. So I went to the nearby place where I regularly notice homeless people tarry around for some time every day. I brought with me a loaf of bread, a pack of cheese sticks, and a liter of mineral water. I was scanning the area when I noticed a homeless man, around 50 years of age, sitting in an empty bench with empty eyes looking far away. As I approached, I took pity on his plight considering his age. Unexpectedly I found myself softly smiling as I greeted him, “Here’s something for you to eat.” His depressed look failed to register a smile. But I saw the tenderness in his eyes. Somehow I did not expect him to smile. What’s important: I brought him food to last a day or two. That’s enough for me.
