March 15... Being An Altruist

I had barely been home for two hours when my cousin Elise called me and asked me to go to dinner with her. I immediately agreed and drove to pick her up. As we were leaving, her mom remarked: "I hope you don't get stuck with beans and rice again this time." I was taken aback, and very confused. Elise then explained the agenda for our night. We were attending the annual BYU Hunger Banquet, a dinner designed to raise awareness of world hunger and how we can make a difference.

When we got there, we were assigned a position. Upper class got to sit at tables with nice dinners. Middle class got chairs and pizza. And us, along with over 60% of the population, were Lower Class. This means we got to crouch on the floor and share a plate of rice and beans between five or six of us. We got to hear speeches and watch a few cultural dances/drumming/singing skits. It was very educational and exciting. After attending this dinner, I feel like I can really make a difference in the world somehow, by helping others or just being an altruist.

Mother Theresa said: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."

I really believe this to be true, and I know that we can all help by being aware, by not being selfish, and not being afraid. And this banquet was a big eye-opener to the truth I already knew.