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The Eclectic Pen - “The Apple Never Falls Far from the Tree”

By: Kelsey G. (bubbles)   + 2 more  
Date Submitted: 1/12/2007
Last Updated: 1/12/2007
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs » Memoirs
Words: 765
Rating:

“The apple never falls far from the tree.” What does this adage mean? This saying is referring to the tree as the parents. Having the apple, the child, never fall far from the tree is indicating that the child usually has similar traits to his/her parents. In my life, one important way that I fall near the tree is my dedication to community service. Last spring, my Girl Scout troop led the annual Thinking Day event in Reston. Girl Scouts celebrate Thinking Day all around the world. On this day, we gather to learn and celebrate the global aspect of Girl Scouting. When my Girl Scout troop led Thinking Day we based it on International Bingo. We planned many different activities that the 300 little girls would enjoy. After around ten hours of collaborative preparation, the event took place. That night, we arranged the Langston Hughes Middle School cafeteria to fit the amount of people that were attending. There were heavy tables that needed to be moved, microphones prepared, projectors, screens, tablecloths, and many more necessities to be arranged by 7:00. Finally, the Girl Scouts arrived. Then the real excitement began! I started off the night with the “Groovin’ Cups” icebreaker game. Now, you have to know that the other two girls in my troop are shy and did not want to do any oral speaking. So it was my job to speak into the microphone, terrified, with everyone listening. After a few rounds of the cup game, everyone was loudly chanting, “tap, tap, clap, clap, clap, hit, slap, groove…” Therefore, I felt prodigiously better about talking into the microphone and ended this activity by bantering with the audience. Next on the agenda was the International Flag Parade and Ceremony. All of my confidence about talking into the microphone evaporated, making me skittish. I felt as though I was stranded on an island with sharks all around. I wanted my sister to introduce the troops but my mom insisted that I continue with my commitment, introducing the countries. As I took a deep breath, I started, “Our first country is Argentina represented by Troop 4519…” Following the flag ceremony, we served the bountiful desserts from around the world. As the sweet aroma lingered in the air, I realized that these young Girl Scouts venerated the older girls who lead events like Thinking Day. As the Girl Scouts walked through the congested line and asked for certain desserts, they would look at my troop with eyes full of reverence. They treated us with utter politeness. After the desserts were allotted, I realized that I was no longer one of the many Girl Scouts who was out in the crowd. I was being watched and thought of as a role model. Once dessert was finished, I was excited. I knew that the rest of the night was the easier part to run, BINGO! As my troop took their positions: ball roller, announcer, projector checker, and board checker; the hum of excited girls’ voices and laughter was in the air. While girls were winning, having fun, and receiving special prizes, my troop was hard at work trying to make the night as fun as possible. Finally, around 9:00, when all of the prizes were gone, the Girl Scouts went home. The school cafeteria, however, was in disarray. There were broken crayons scattered about, bingo sheets everywhere possible, and trashcans full with the remnants of delicious desserts. Since the Girl Scout motto is “Leave a place cleaner than how you found it” my troop spent at least an hour cleaning the cafeteria. As we cleaned, I realized that I could remember every single legendary Thinking Day with the thought of laughter, friends, and fun. It hit me that Thinking Day, the day that I have loved and looked forward to for the past seven years, was just run by my troop. With the apple as me and the tree as my mother, I fall directly beside the trunk where community service is concerned. I inherit my mother’s genes and perspective of lending a hand. She loves volunteering and being in charge. She volunteers at school, Girl Scouts, swim team, and soccer. Together, we are extremely involved in community service. Completing relevant volunteer projects, such as leading the annual Thinking Day event, is one of the important ways that I fall close to the tree.

The Eclectic Pen » All Stories by Kelsey G. (bubbles)

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