Cycle Paper 1: Expectations of the Given...

Much is expected of those to whom much is given. What have you been given and what, if any, expectations do you think people should have of you? What expectations do you have for yourself?

I am a firm believer in the saying above. I have grown up having always been taught that if you are blessed with good fortune, it is only right to give back to those in need. I feel that because I am a fortunate person, and was raised in a family who volunteers quite often, it is only necessary for me to do the same in any way possible. Whether that means donating money to a needy organization, spending time to help others, or even offering some kind of education for kids who don’t receive a good one, I feel it is my duty and responsibility to help.

During my life I have been given more than anyone could ask for at my given age. My parents have blessed me with not only material items that I have "wanted" over the years, but have also paid for me to receive an excellent education. Ever since I was in preschool my parents have sent me to some of the best schools Hawaii has to offer. I have been given education thus far and am secure in knowing that I will be able to go to college without too much worry. There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t go to college, or even graduate high school for that matter, and I guess that is something I take for granted considering there are many teenagers who are never able to go to school nevertheless graduate from high school. Having been blessed with a great education, which will lead to many opportunities in the future, I feel it is my duty to give back to those who cannot afford some of the "things" I have been given. And by "giving back" I dont necessarily mean donating money by sending a check to overseas aid organization advertised on television, after all, Peter Singer raised a very good point in his piece The Singer Solution to World Poverty when he states, "Is it the practical uncertainties about whether aid will really reach the people who need it? Nobody who knows the world of overseas aid can doubt that such uncertainties exist." For this good point, I am a firm believer in donating time rather than money. When you donate you time, you know it is well spent, rather than hoping your check will reach the people who need it most. In some ways, yes, my need to give to others less fortunate is partly because of the expectation that is set on me to give back to the community, but I think that without that expectation of the fortunate many people would end up being consumed by their own lives and overlooking the needs of others.In fact, I think without this expectation some give into there would be hardly any overseas organizations to donate to. Singer proves this fact in his article when he states, "Yet the question of how much we ought to give is a matter to be decided in the real world--and that, sadly, is a world in which we know most people do not, and in the immediate future will not, give substantial amounts to overseas aid agencies. We know, too, that at least in the next year, the United States Government is not going to meet even the very modest United Nations-reccomended target of 0.7 percent of gross national product; at the moment it lags far below that, at 0.09 percent, not even half of Japan's 0.22 percent or a tenth of Denmark's 0.97 percent."

I feel there is an expectation placed on me is to do well in school, "well" meaning all A's and nothing less. This expectation is set not only by parents but also by peers. I understand that because our parents are paying for such an expensive education that we ought to make the most out of it by getting the best grades possible. But it is much harder than it sounds, which is what I feel parents don’t understand at times. I believe that if you are able to find a balance between the two—making your parents happy and not killing yourself over grades, you really are able to satisfy the expectation placed on you.

Much is expected of those to whom much is given. This is a statement that I feel should always be respected and followed. Without these "expectations" that we have in life, who know what kind of world we would be living in?