The Glory of Picking Up Poop

As a volunteer at my local animal shelter, I’ve become all too familiar with the smell of bleach, the grit of hand sanitizer, and the sound of two sides of a pooper scooper clanking together. You’re probably wondering why I’d start there. I suppose I wanted to get the unpleasant part out of the way first. Now let’s get into what’s important.

The glory of picking up poop comes when you see the opportunity for second chances. Don’t get me wrong, I love the warm feeling of wiggly puppies in my hand, their small wet tongues tickling my face, and their enthusiastic curious head cocks that display the most adorable faces. That part’s definitely the most immediately gratifying, but it’s not the most rewarding.

It’s when you’ve watched the same old dog lie on a cement floor for days. It’s when that dog looks up at you with a look of desperation, abandonment, and a loss of hope. It’s when you see someone look into those eyes and make a connection. It’s whenever there’s the opportunity for a second chance.

There’s something amazing about that. There’s something wonderful about seeing the sparkle return to a loyal dog’s eyes.

That Time

It’s come. That dreaded time I’ve been warned about since freshman year- the time you have to fill in the blanks, check the boxes, and list volunteer hours/ extracurricular activities. That time has come and believe me some amazingly negative attitudes have followed. Some people race around school signing their names to lists and attending the bare minimum of meetings just so they can add it to their resume.

And I’m here to tell you something before this time comes to you.

Don’t make those people’s dumb mistakes. Work hard every year and do your best, because I promise that will be good enough.

If you want to enjoy high school, don’t do something to write it down. Do it because you love it. Don’t volunteer to tally hours; volunteer to make the hours meaningful.

Letter From Uganda

Below is a letter NETwork received from Stella Matutina secondary school in Uganda. The students and faculty of this girls' boarding school received nets in the October 2010 distribution. I thank you also for your support!

Dear friends,

Greetings from Stella Matutina Secondary School.

Stella Matutina is a girls' secondary school in Katulikire Holy Family Parish,Hoima Catholic diocese, Uganda.

A few days ago we received bed nets from your organisation through our parish priest Rev. Fr. Francis Banura. 315 girls( between the ages of 12-19yrs) and 27 staff members received the bed nets.

This effort will go along way in the fight against malaria. We believe as these girls are protected, they in turn will become the ambassodors of this noble struggle you are making. More so when they are healthy they will concentrate more in their studies.

On behalf of the school, I sincerely thank you for this great struggle and promise you our prayers.God bless you abundantly.

Sr. Josephine Acan

Head teacher

Stella Matutina Secondary School.

5K Walk And Run

Looking for a great way to help out, a good source of exercise and a chance to get involved in NETwork Against Malaria? Come out and show your support for NETwork Against Malaria at the First Annual 5K Walk and Run. Enjoy, food drinks, live music, while competing to ribbons in each age group. All money raised benefits NETwork Against Malaria Your $10 registration fee buys one bednet and saves three lives! NETwork Against Malaria needs your support. Come out for this fun day to promote awareness and celebrate a wonderful cause ! Register Online or View Registration Flyer Dates And Times - November 13, 2010 - Start Time 9:30 AM - Location: Family Sportsplex 2346 Mascoutah Avenue, Belleville, IL - Registration Starting at 8:00 AM - Cost: $10 for early registration $12 for day-of registration - All proceeds benefit NETwork Against Malaria, NFP Questions? 618-581-8000 or 618-233-6412 This run was organized by a high school senior, Conor Gardner. He needs your help! Come support NETwork Against Malaria's FIRST ANNUAL 5K!

3:45 in The Morning Early

The first day of school is stressful for everyone. There is no one in the world who can honestly say that they don’t even feel a little nervous as they walk through the doors to the first class. This year I woke up early-really early-3:45 in the morning early. At first I tried to go back to bed, but I realized that I was too antsy to do that. So, I got up and walked around my dark, lonely house. Not even my dogs got up with me. The sun had not risen yet and I could see the moon out off the glass door to my deck. I thought about watching t-v, but I decided that would ruin the perfect peace of half-night. I sat on the lazy-boy in my family room watching the moon make its journey across the night sky. There is something indescribably wonderful about being the only up in the house. I got dressed for the day around 5:30, but my family was still a couple of hours away from waking up, so I read a chapter from the novel I’d been working on, and gazed as the moon disappeared and the sun started to fill the morning with light. If you have never seen the sunrise I encourage you to set your alarm just one day, and then you can go back to sleep. It is defiantly worth seeing at least once in full consciousness. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed, but also one of the saddest. As the sun begins to hoist itself into the air, it forces the mystery of the night away. I wanted that night to last as long as possible. There is something so magical about the night that I have always loved. Watching the sun rise is sort of like watching a superhero triumph over a much lesser villain that never really had a chance: you always think that you would want the superhero to win, but when the time comes you realize it was never a fair fight. You wind up feeling sorry for the little villain and secretly hope that he wins.