A Ladder, A Hammer, and A House by Andrew

A Ladder, A Hammer, and A House by Andrew - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

As I hammered away on Harmon Avenue, I stopped. It was a Saturday morning with scorching heat from the sun beating down. Standing on a six- foot ladder, in that brief break from attaching roof brackets, I pondered the task that I was performing. I thought about the single mom whose husband died a year ago and her handicapped son; I thought about the volunteers surrounding me, giving up their Saturday to provide a home for a family in need; I thought about the small, seemingly menial task that I was assigned. How could I, a teenager who didn't know the first thing about building a house, possibly assist these men? While they confidently lugged two-by-fours on their broad shoulders, knowing exactly what they were doing, I, all 140 pounds of me, shyly looked around and wondered what the heck I was accomplishing.
Granted, this was the first time I helped build a house for Habitat for Humanity. Looking back, it makes sense that the new kid had no clue what to do. I was intimidated, surrounded by these men who all had experience building houses. However, I gained a valuable lesson from that day. In that moment, on the ladder, I realized something that has come to serve as a motto for me: Every action counts. Putting up brackets sounds meaningless. Why wasn't I helping build the roof, or put up siding, or even build the deck? All of those things sound better than "hammering brackets". But, it occurred to me that you couldn't build a roof or put up siding without those brackets. A piece of metal weighing about the same as an apple was necessary in order for the house to be completed. And in that moment, it clicked. I knew, undoubtedly, why I was on this small street in Urbana, Ohio. I was a bracket for the house. Even though I had no experience or knowledge and would play a very small part in the construction of that house, I was essential. Well, I shouldn't say just I. Everyone there was essential to this house. If each person thought to themselves, "One person won't make a difference. Besides, how could I possibly help? I don't need to help," then nothing would ever get better in our world. It takes each person volunteering and giving his or her time for anything to happen.
This awakening marked a change in my way of thinking. I saw the importance of volunteering, even if it seems dumb or stupid or insignificant. This not only applies to volunteering, but to everything in life. Small things are just as important as the eye-catching things, and are integral to achieving success. I try to take this idea with me every day, remembering that each action can have enormous effects, no matter how pointless it may seem. Basically, I am trying to say this: It takes a small metal bracket to build a great big house.