Service learning

Mary Anne Lopez

Gwendolyn Alley

English V02

May 10, 2008

 

As part of my service learning is beach clean up day. Since, I am researching for my project regarding littering. I decided to go and be a part of the beach clean up program on Earth awareness day along with my children. I readily felt accomplished helping clean up our community. I gained a great deal of knowledge in how a community come together in order to have a better place to live in. It is also one way of showing my children how important cleaning up our community would be. My eldest son is religiously doing his part at home he continues to recycling. I observed him more being involved with recycling and litter prevention on his own little way. I see him picking up litter and put it in a trash bin or basket when we do our walks on the beach or on the walk path to his school. It’s amazing how we can teach children at young age and incorporate this in their daily routine. Just like riding a bike. They will never forget as long as we continue doing this at home. My behavior together with my family has completely changed our outlook towards our environment. I am more aware of my surrounding and what I could do as an individual to help out into our community clean up. Learning earth day has definitely has a great impact on my understanding why it is important to be involved in cleaning our environment. In which I am now applying in my life style including my whole family.

 I also attended a poetry reading in Union Artist Gallery Ventura California. It was great experience. I get to read my amateur poem in front or everyone, in front of strangers. It was a nerve wracking. Although it gave me a great deal of feel how it is to be a poet in one day. There were poetry sharing as well. It was nice listening to other people’s work. It may be a comedy, drama, or merely just a little poem made by their everyday life story. Little thoughts make a good description of what kind of person you are. Anything I learned with literature and writing itself made me appreciate literature more.Little did I know that literature has more to offer than just reading it. You can actually be a part of it as well. There were arts posted at the wall as well projecting a great form of art work.

            In addition I also attended Kenny Roger’s concert at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez. My hubby asked me to go watch “Kenny Rogers concert”. First thing came to mind is to whom are we going to leave the kids for us to go and see it? Sure enough that when i opened my email. My friend is asked me if I needed a break, away from my kids, with out  a second thought I responded back and said YES!!! How about this coming thursday? She responded back and said sure!  I was extatic!  Not only that I get to spend time with my hubby ALONE I get to watch Kenny Rogers. He is a legendary singer. It may really sound corny to you some kids at younger age but Kenny Rogers has a lot of really good songs, love song in particular.

Thursday came and I got the kids pack all their things ,ready to go to my friends house as soon as daddy  comes home. My children were also excited going to my friends  house because they get to play with their friends as well. After we dropped off the kids. We head to Chumash Casino. It was a longer drive than I thought. We got lost a little bit lost because of that stupid direction from the internet got us lost. Anyhow, we got to the concert 20 minutes after it started. My husband and I were practically running up the stairs looking for the right place to go. We asked several people on the way but it seems like a disaster that first we had to pick up the tickets at the booth which turned out their computer is not working so we had to go find another booth that dispense that ticket for us. As we get to the booth, there was a long line waited for at least 10-12 minutes which seemed like forever. We thought we were not going make it anymore. I am beginning to feel sad because the concert already started and we are still at the booth in line, waiting for our ticket. Locally the lady on the customer’s service desk was really nice and gave our tickets as fast as she could. My husband and I ran faster than ever. We got to the door.  I could hear Kenny Rogers singing one of my favorite song, “Lady”. My heart sank, I feel like I am falling all over again. Kenny‘s voice was really amazing, powerful yet with great passion. For many of you may not know Kenny Rogers because he is really old. He started singing and writing since 1954. That is over 5 decades. Amazing, isn’t he? He had 42 hit songs up to date. “ Houston-born Rogers formed his first band while in high school in 1956 and never quit making music from that point on. The rockabilly group, called The Scholars, got a record deal and released two singles that had local success, and led to a performance spot on American Bandstand. Soon afterward, Rogers joined the Bobby Doyle Trio, playing stand-up bass in the jazz band, and appearing on their album. In 1966 he became a member of the New Christy Minstrels, the popular folk group, leaving a year later to form The First Edition with other members of the troupe. The spotlight started focusing on Rogers when the group got their first hit, “I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).” Within a year the band was called Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, and his distinctive voice led the group to both pop and country chart success with “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town,” written by Mel Tillis. The double-genre success struck again with “Reuben James,” and the group landed their own TV variety show.   In 1974, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition disbanded, leaving Rogers at a crossroads. Disillusioned with the fickleness of the pop world, but not with music itself, he searched for a direction to take his solo career. Impressed by the loyalty of country fans that supported their favorite artists long after they had disappeared from radio, Rogers looked to country. He’d already had some success among country fans with the First Edition and he was drawn to the type of story songs that populated the genre. It was the perfect transition for him. “Love Lifted Me,” went Top 20 in 1975, but it was the “Lucille” that shot him into the stratosphere. Tops at country, it also succeeded on the pop chart, was named the CMA’s Single of the Year and was certified Gold’’ Rogers, Kenny . Biography. February 2008.  <http://kennyrogers.biz/biography.html>. Amazing as he is, I sat there watching him I could tell he loved what he does that is why he is doing it so. Through the years of his work .Kenny Rogers is already I believed 70 years old and he still provide music to many of us. It was full house concert. There were more older viewers but it seemed to me that I was watching “the google dolls” on live concert. Everyone is up and dancing. Just merely having a good time and going for the moment. I am glad I went to see the concert. I had fun being alone I had a tremendous time, A fun just being a way for a little bit as breather. As the music plays every lyrics was very meaningful. As I sat there and listen good old days of memories were pouring in. The song called “To me” brought me to tears. He dedicated the song to his twin sons who are now 4 years old. Kenny Rogers as an individual has so much accomplishment in his entire life. I loved it. Once again, this is another form of arts and literature which I learn more about.

The entire earth day campaign has a great impact in my life. I have changed tremendously on how I see things when it comes to helping our environment. I, including my children are now involved on cleaning up as part of our routine and in our daily lives. We started recycling which also has given us the opportunity to help our natural resources. Keeping our home clean will lead to keeping our community then our whole entire world.