I remember when I first visited a nursing home.  I went there to participate in a show with some peers and entertain the residents.  As a first grader, I didn’t really understand the point of the whole situation.  But my friends and I had fun and that was all that mattered at the time.  All of us dressed up in our spring dresses and styled our hair all fancy.  We danced up and down the stage while the crowd of elders smiled from ear to ear and applauded us.  Then it was over and I went on home.  I didn’t think it was all that special or that I would ever go back. 
    Now I am involved in the high school student council at my undersized school.  At the March meeting, we decided that going to the nursing home was going to be our service project for the month of April.  At the time, that decision didn’t have much significance to me.  Sadly, I was excited to get out of school and miss a couple hours but that’s about it.  I knew I was going to do something good for the community but I didn’t think it was going to impact me personally. 
When the day came around it just seemed like a normal day.  We all got out of class and climbed on the same old smelly school bus.  On the way there I was on my phone like normal, something that takes up a lot of my day.  But I put my phone away as I walked through the big glass doors surrounded by dozens of flowers in the lawn.  Once we got into the building there was a cage full of little birds chirping away.  It seemed so happy but depressing at the same time.  These people are reaching the end and they don’t have much they can do anymore.  Their highlight of the day is probably having a good nap or winning a board game like chess.  See the thing is they try and make the building a happier place by filling it with flowers and birds, but I found out that that’s not really what they need.  As we walked through the hall we made our way down to the main gathering room.  Once the residents looked up and saw us, their faces lit up as if they were fireflies on a humid summer night.  They were so delighted to see youth come and give them some company.  I knew at that moment that it wasn’t going to be what I expected.  These weren’t just some boring old people in a meaningless brick building. 
From there we walked down another long hallway.  It was filled with the rooms’ of the residents on both sides.  The dark green floral wallpaper was peeling and the rooms were bland.  It’s like there was no life, no sprightliness.  At this point, I felt bad for them, sorry that this was their life every day.  When we got to the next gathering room there was different residents but the same reactions.  Their faces glowed with joy when we arrived.  We started off by playing games with them and getting to know them.  It was interesting hearing the stories they had to share and their life experiences.  Their childhoods’ were so much different than ours today.  They had actual conversations with the people around them and they didn’t just sit on their phones.  While we were playing games a member of our group started playing the piano.  The seniors loved it, the sound of the keys creating charming music.  It was kind of eye-opening to see that all these little things affecting their moods’ substantially.  Just the simple act of interacting with them was enough to change their whole day around. 
When the time reached two thirty we had to leave.  I was a little in shock when I looked at the clock and it was already two thirty-nine.  The time had gone by so fast.  It was like a wake-up call, time flew by when I wasn’t just sitting on my phone.  I realized that getting off technology and socializing can mean so much more.  Additionally, I can admit that it was nice not looking on Instagram and seeing people pretending to have perfect lives, or going on Snapchat sending pointless pictures. 
The thing is, the older generations are unappreciated.  As teenagers, I don’t think we are around elders enough.  I’ve found that we can learn many things from them.  Because if we think about it, they have been around longer than most people which makes them pretty wise.  Another lesson I got from this event was to live life to the fullest.  These people are reaching their final years maybe even their final days and they have to stay in a nursing home.  After seeing this, I now want to check everything off my bucket list as fast as I can.  So when that time comes I’m happy with what I’ve done with my life.  I’ve also discovered that something as small as waving to someone or saying hello can make their day.  I’m glad to say that from this service project I have changed for the better, and grown as a person.