9:19pm Thursday 31st January 2013
On average people spend forty hours a year stuck in traffic, two thousand nine hundred and twenty hours sleeping, and one hundred and eighty three hours eating breakfast. To put things into such a perspective is shocking, but it is the tragic truth. So instead of waisting away a lifetime conducting simple chores and everyday necessities, I opted to volunteer in the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation (QEF) for disabled people.
The Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for disabled people aids those who are severely speech impaired, as well as physically impaired. Regardless of the circumstance, however, QEF houses a variety of people with varying degrees of disability. Upon my first visit to the foundation I fell victim to some truly heart wrenching experiences. It was not the fact that every person I encountered struggled to communicate or were limited to the simple movements of a wheelchair, but it was rather the fact that these people were overjoyed to see me. That in light of their circumstances, every person still had the capacity to extend their joy-filled smiles and do their utmost to make the most of the visit.
Despite feeling both disturbed and humbled, the few hours I spent with the residents were some of the most amazing hours of my life. I went from entertaining the residents with games and movies, to providing each resident with company during their meal time hours. Even though conventional rules for playing board games were clearly violated--it was difficult for some of the residents to grasp the concept of Jenga--it is safe to say that the time spent with these remarkable people was not at all wasted, and was even more fun.
Ironically, I travelled to the QEF to aid those who were in need of help, only to feel as if the residents at the QEF were the ones who helped me. Going to a charity such as the QEF is a truly humbling experience. So take the chance and do something more with life than just being stuck in traffic.
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