President's Day Special

HHH was closed on President's Day. Three weeks have passed since I last volunteered, and I'm starting to feel a void in my Mondays. As I mentioned earlier, I'll retell one of my most memorable experiences I've had here so far.

During my first month volunteering at HHH, I met a particular homeless black man. He was a bit nervous about getting his teeth extracted and asked me several questions regarding the procedure. When told that he had to stop smoking after the procedure to allow the gum to completely heal, he seemed reluctant but realized it was for the best. While waiting for the dentist to come over, he engaged me in conversation about education, mentioning that it was good for me to get my studies out of the way right now so I can enjoy the rest of life, contrary to what he did. He wanted to be an aircraft mechanic, but he unintentionally got his girlfriend pregnant. His whole lifestyle changed in order to accommodate the child, and he later fell onto financial troubles and drug addictions. When I told him I was just a volunteer, he seemed surprised and told me that it was good that I was going to school and still put aside time to help out. He admitted that he wanted to give back somehow when he had the chance to. He also said that I seemed like a religious person just from the way I carried myself. In the end, he advised me to keep focus on education and pursue my dreams.

Even though I have often heard these words from parents and educators, I was moved by his concern for me. It was a humbling feeling knowing that someone who had so much to worry about still made the effort to reach out and motivate others. This experience taught me that I could learn from patients, even those who are homeless and in search of a way out of their hardships. My overall perception of homeless people changed from this moment onward. I learned that the homeless are merely ordinary people who have fallen on hard times, but nonetheless possess a wealth of wisdom and character.