Did you did you learn from someone today? Were you really attentive to that person in order to recognize what they can teach you/show you? What did you learn from this person?

Yes, myself.

I have learned today how to be accepting of other people. I listen to this song that really opened my eyes to certain situations. The song is entitled, “Do you Care”. It is talking about sexual orientation, race and other ‘isms’ affecting our society. It really opened up my personality about places where I have difficulties accepting. I now understand that we are all people--no minority and no special group. Everyone is their own individual and everyone has their own preferences.

Do you care about the colour of my skin, the length of my hair, what I wear?

Do you care? It really should not be a problem

Today I gave feedback to my team members and I think I did very well at giving my positive and constructive feedback.

One skill I have learned since joining Serve! is leadership skills. Running or facilitating a team meeting/activity, or trying to be a role model to others. I have met my goal to gain/develop leadership skills. Once I know I see the results by accomplishing my goal, then, obviously, I will know that I was succesful achieving it.

One thing I would like to comment is the importance of interpersonal skills. It’s very relevant to leadership skills because working in a team of diverse youth is a big challenge for me-- especially handling conflicts, solving a problem in a group, voicing ideas/concerns, and talking about feelings can be a difficult process. I hope that with all the barriers team members face in their lives, that they will learn and grow from mistakes, including myself.

No matter what I go through, nothing can bring me down. I will remain strong.

Last week I mentioned the 35th annniversary of Canada World Youth and mentioned that one of Serve!’s alumni, Prudence is currently working on a Canada World Youth team in Alberta. Prudence sent us an e-mail to tell us what’s she’s been up to:

From last Thursday to Friday I was in Edmonton. It was the 35th CWY celebration and my group and the Camrose group were invited to celebrate and perform. There was slight competition between us and Camrose. We beat them hands down.

On Thursday, my group went to a peace conference at a high school. It was quite interesting actually. At the end of the day there was an African band playing. One of the cwy participants suggested we all stand up. All the students followed and then everyone rocked the house with breakdancing and the electric slide.

I’m quite busy here with work placements. I finished working at the museum and will be starting the red deer express the local paper tommorrow! I’m excited and nervous. Also our group has educational activity days which each pair of counterparts has to be in charge of a theme and the rest of the group contributes to it with groups of multi-media, print and CAD’s which are outings or sessions or volunteer work in the community. My counterpart and myself we chose the theme sexuality. We kicked butt!! =)

Good to hear from you Prudence-- keep kicking butt in Red Deer! :)

My team had fun when we took a tour of the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat. That was the most progressive day of the week for me. I felt so good to be back at work after such a long break. I really absorbed a lot of information on the tour given by Denny and Patrice (I hope I got their names correct).

We learned about butterflies from Toronto. The monarch butterflies were really interesting. Every year, they migrate as far as Mexico in the fall. Now that is a lot of flying by those little insects!

I visited my senior, Pamela, today. She was so happy to see me. I did the usual by reorganizing her closet which was messy and which was totally unlike Pamela. I really care for the well-being of her and I am at the point where if she asked me to do anything for her, I will do it with an open heart.