This summer, I started my first job ever as an intern at a classical radio station downtown. I’m studying to be a journalist, and have studied classical music for as long as I can remember, so the job sounded like a perfect fit. The internship is unpaid, but I have learned a ton about how broadcast media works, and feel very thankful to have the opportunity to work at a radio station.
The station is located downtown, right in the middle of the city. I have learned how to drive around downtown, where to park, and where all the best restaurants are for lunch. I’ve discovered a bunch of great spots downtown, from cool coffee shops to a beautiful park in the center of town called Courthouse Square, where I frequently sit outside and eat my lunch while watching the people come and go.
Being downtown has also exposed me to people from all walks of life. There are many workers like me, who are coming to and from their nice office jobs. There are performers coming to rehearsals for the orchestra, opera and theater. There are also poor, homeless people whose biggest concern is finding their next meal. The contrast is stark, and it’s amazing how so many different people are all living their daily lives right next to each other.
I’ve lived a very privileged life. I’ve had parents who love me and support me, and who have been able to provide me with a college education. I’ve never had to worry about providing for myself because I have a family who has provided for me. I was able to take an unpaid internship this summer because I could afford to gain a new experience without worrying about paying bills. I have been given the tools to succeed in this world, and it was all through simply being lucky.
I realize this now more than ever because I have seen people who have had none of what I just described. As I was eating my lunch today outside, I was completely consumed with thoughts of my work. Am I doing a good job? How can I do better? What will next year have in store? As I was thinking all of this to myself, I realized that all of my leftover food was simply sitting on the table. And I realized that I was going to just throw it all away. I didn’t need it or want it, and I knew it would just go bad in my refrigerator if I brought it home.
I thought about how that meal would mean a lot to someone if I could just give it to them. I thought about how lucky I was that I didn’t have to worry about finding my next meal, and could just focus on my other goals and dreams. Feeling guilty, I got up to go back to work, when a gentleman came up to me and quietly asked me if I was going to throw the rest of my food away. I immediately handed it to him and told him to take it, and gave him my Pepsi as well. I said God bless you and he thanked me before we both parted ways.
While this simple interaction might sound small and insignificant, it had a large impact on me. I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about that man, what his story was and what his life was like. I then thought about my life as I was working in a comfortable office with a wonderful group of people. Neither of us chose to be in the situations we were in, it was just the hand that we were dealt. It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t just. It’s just how it is.
I have no idea why some people are so fortunate and others are not. But I can say that working downtown and seeing people from all walks of life has inspired me to do more to help others, especially the poor. I want to use any gifts I might have to help others, if only in a small way. I know that giving the rest of my lunch to someone else isn’t some great altruistic sacrifice, but it was something. And if everyone could give a small something, it could make a very big impact. I can’t wait to keep exploring more of Dayton, and I hope I can make at least a small difference along the way.