Service Analysis #4

You've Got a Friend in Me

Everyone needs at least one friend, someone to hold onto. In Frankenstein, the main characters are searching for a friend, someone to accept them. In Tableau the children have their friendship and do not let others influence themselves. In Theology, the speaker makes a point to not look down upon others just because they are not you. All three works relate to my service at Mother Seton, whether it be how I interact with the kids or how I talk about my service.

In Shelley’s Frankenstein, one thing the three main characters are pursuing is acceptance. The three men, blank Frankenstein and the creation, all express a desire for love and friendship. I can relate to that very much myself but I can also relate that to my service. The kids I am working with at Mother Seton are not looking for charity, they are not looking for another adult to tell them what to do, and they are looking for a companion. That is my job: to be a friend to the kids, to listen to their stories, and to help them. For example, this week I did help Kodi, my buddy, do his homework but we also simply had conversation while I was with him. He talked about his transition to a new school, his future aspirations, and even my own. However, in order to find a friend he does not have to go searching through the Atlantic or the mountains, he can simply find one in me. That is the nice thing about being a companion; both my buddy and I want to create a relationship, and we do not have to search too hard, like the characters in Frankenstein.

In Cullen’s Tableau the two boys are unknowingly making a statement. The adults are shocked, but their innocence envelops them and leads them to a pure friendship. With Mother Seton I do not see what I’m doing as charity work, I do not see it as me “helping the less fortunate”, I see it as me befriending the kids and serving them. Obviously when I’m with the kids I get a good feeling inside, I know I’m doing good, but I do not feel like I’m some holy life changing entity that is saving them from a doomed future. Like the boys in the poem, the kids and I are walking arm in arm, in order to better both our lives.

Even though Dunbar’s Theology is comical, it still holds truth and makes a comment about those who believe in religion. One should not believe in something because it puts them on a pedestal above their neighbor, but because it brings them hope and joy. When I am doing service I should not look down upon those who are not doing service. When I talk about Mother Seton I try not to glorify my work, I try not to put the attention on myself, but rather I try to glorify Mother Seton and my buddy. I do not look down on other types of service. I do not shame those who do not do service work. I try to talk up the service, in order to get others interested and to join in.

All three works have different messages, but have similar ones as well. They comment on the need to be a better, more welcoming person in order to live a successful life. With my service at Mother Seton I can relate to all three works and internalize them in order to make me a better companion.