“Already Eye-Opening”
Here’s our final round of personal stories from our newest Community Listeners from Ánimo High School in South Los Angeles.
Take a moment and read how these incredible students have been changed by the simple act of listening to the people around them.
Yesenia’s Story
Yesenia's Personal Hope (Click to Enlarge)
When I first thought about the word “hope” I thought about the things I wanted to achieve but were a far off goal. I wanted material objects; I wanted something better for myself. The thing that kept me going was this “hope”.
As I started this project I realized the amazing responses from my fellow classmates. Many of them wanted peace in the world, others just wished happiness in others lives. I realized how unselfish my classmates were, how I was the opposite. I’m not saying it is a bad thing to hope something better for yourself, I was just saying how I had expected my classmates to primarily want something for themselves, in their lives.
Later, when I read over my Hope Journal, I was really inspired by their hopes. “I hope for peace.” “I hope for equality.” “I hope for peoples’ happiness in life.” These were a few of the hopes that stuck with me, and I truly felt like I had learned a lot from the students in my school. This was only the beginning of The Hope Chronicles project, already eye-opening, and I can only imagine what is to come from our neighboring community.
More stories after the jump…
Yazmin’s Story
Surprises:
Yazmin's Personal Hope (Click to Enlarge)
It was interesting to get to know other students in my school. Many of them wrote hopes that I would’ve never expected from them. Their physical appearance shows something opposite from what they really feel inside. Many of them hope for others, it shows how selfless some people really are. Asking them to write their hope was something I liked doing because many really thought about it, and actually wrote in honesty. Most of the hope were about happiness, love, and peace. Many ask for world peace, and racism and discrimination to come to an end. Others were about love for family and friends, and some were to live a happy life, and see others around them happy as well. It was nice to know what other students are thinking, and know their perspectives. I liked talking with people, and just listening to what they have to say, with out me interrupting or giving back advice on anything, it was just listening. I was left surprised by many of these people.
Change:
I think I have changed because all the different responses have made me think more deeply. All the hopes have a true meaning and are actually very significant to people. I realized that many of the hopes the people wrote relate to me as well. I learned not to judge people by their appearance because there are many people who let out everything in these journals. They say what they’ve never been able to say. They open up. They’re sincere. This has really made me put myself in their shoes and mind and realize my hopes and what I want.
I hope that someday I could see, speak, and listen, but at this age I know I’m very far from reaching anything like that. To be able to see is reaching for the impossible, I only listen to what benefits me, and I don’t have the freedom to speak my mind yet. Therefore, I hope to have those things with me; to see, to speak, to listen. I don’t have it today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe never, but it doesn’t hurt me to try to get those things. Once I have them I will help others see, speak and listen as well.
Justine’s Story
Justine's Personal Hope (Click to Enlarge)
Before I started The Hope Chronicles, I never really had any thought of what the word “hope” meant to me. It never crossed my mind to ever even think of my personal goals or even think whether I had any hopes for the world nor for myself. Now, the word hope is such a deep and intriguing word that means much more than what the human mind can expand upon to think of. This project has not only helped me find the true meaning of hope but has made me open my eyes to reality. The Hope Chronicles have inspired me to as people what their hope is, in hope that they can find their true meaning of hope as well.
A conversation I had with one of the faculty members of our school really stood out to me. When I asked what his hopes were, he gladly took a moment to really think of what he truly hoped for in life. As astonishing as it was for me to know his response for his hope, he hoped someone in the world will help him and guide him for he has not all the answers to life. He also hopes for humans to find happiness, for society to learn from life and from others. His hope was inspiring because I didn’t expect such a miraculous hope to come from him. It made me look at him with a different perspective, and it made me realize that many people out there in our world hope for many things that many of us may have no clue about. I encourage everyone out there to simply as this one question “What do you hope for?” and find out all the life changing response one might receive.
Becca’s Story
Becca's Personal Hope (Click to Enlarge)
One of the hopes that really stand out to me is the one that my eleven year old sister wrote. It was just something that I didn’t expect. I thought that an my eleven year old sister would hope for puppies and candy, something that an eleven year old in general would want, but she wrote “I hope that animals are treated the way they are suppose to be treated. Not stuck in cages.”
She also drew animals being happy and free. Our family is simply fascinated with animals and we treat them with respect. We do not go to Zoo’s for reason that, we do not like the fact that these Wild Animals are not in the wild and they’re in cages. As her sister that made me want to be an advocate for the cruelty of these wonderful animals and to do this with her by my side. I can honestly say that I hugged my sister right after I read it because I found something that made me and my sister closer than ever before. I just can’t wait until she grows up and we both can start to make a difference for all of the animals.
Tags: animo, california, high school, los angeles