The Rotary Club of Pismo Beach / Five Cites
Destinee Meza, Second Place
Grade 7, Judkins Middle
Teacher: Barbara Babka
In AVID, a class that is dedicated to educating kids about college, a common question we are asked is who is your hero? Who inspires you to persevere though your life? My answer would be my grandma, Peggy Hoobery. She is an honorary member of The Rotary club of Grover Beach. I have personally been to a handful of meetings and have heard The Rotary 4-Way Test said in unison many times. Until now I have never thought about The Rotary 4-Way Test very seriously, but now I can finally understand how The Rotary 4-Way Test can change not only your life, but the lives of others around you. This reflects on my grandma very much, because she always seems to have these questions in her mind. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
The first rule, Is it the truth?, reflects on my grandma in the fact that she always wants for everyone not only to speak the truth, but also act the truth. This meaning that when someone either makes a promise or says something, she always expects them to act on it. My grandma’s mom, and my nana, died when I was really young. When she passed I could remember the last time I saw her. My mom, my grandma, siblings, and I were at the hospital just before she passed. My grandmother had promised my mom, Tanya, that she would be strong for my brother, sister, and 1.1 remember sitting on my grandma’s lap talking to my nana even though I knew she couldn’t respond. A couple of times I looked at my grandma her eyes looked glassed over because she was holding back tears. I never thought she knew how to cry, because I have never seen her cry. She was always strong for us. The truth is my grandma is my role model, because she is and always will be strong for my family.
The second rule, Is it fair to all concerned?, also applies to my grandma in the sense that she always wants everything to be fair for everyone. The way that she sees fair is not the way that most people see it, most people think that fair is everyone getting the same thing. To my grandma fair is everyone getting what they need to be successful. In fact the church I go to with my grandma was doing a drive where they were packaging everyday items that we take for granted, including but not limited to socks, crackers, water, and a razor. The items were then given to the homeless. This was a real eye opener for me because my grandma and I took about five bags to hand out. After church we went to Food 4 Less to buy some groceries and we saw a little, old homeless lady wrapped up in a tattered, weathered blanket. My grandma quickly pulled over and quietly dropped a bag next to her without her noticing. Quickly, we drove away so that we could see her but she couldn’t see us. The old woman looked at the bag by her side and started to weep. I asked my grandma why we were hiding. She took some time to think and said, “I don’t need to be rewarded with a thank you or even a kind, thankful look, just doing the right thing is a reward enough. Also observing from afar can be even more rewarding than being up close where they feel like they have to thank you. Look at her face… that is a genuine thank you.” This will always stick with me no matter where I go in life, no matter what happens. I will always remember the time that my grandma gave a needy stranger the things she not only needed to be successful, but the things she needed to survive.
The third rule, Will it build greater goodwill and better friendships?, mostly applies to my grandma because she in an honorary member of the Rotary. The Rotary helps build better will and friendships within our community. My grandma was a help in the Chili Cook Off. Although it is not happening anymore I have countless memories of being there from eight o’clock in the morning all the way until nine o’clock in the evening. All of her grandchildren including me helped set up, clean up, and put away since the festival started. Without this experience I believe that I would expect people to do everything for me. My grandma helped me experience greater will and better friendships within my community.
The fourth and final rule, Will it be beneficial to all concerned?, also applies to my grandma in the fact that she never wants anyone to be going backwards in life. She always wants people to be doing their best and work for others. Part of being beneficial to all is to help others even if they don’t seem to need it. Some people are not outspoken and need the help of another person in order to feel like they are needed. During family events some people tend to hug the wall instead of each other. She spots them like a hawk and lures them into the family circle. This makes me feel delighted because I also want others to feel important, and my grandma leads the way.
Overall, my grandma is a person in my life who has taught me the most about the Rotary 4-Way Test. The Rotary is a big part of my life, because my grandmother is an honorary member. So that means that when there is an event we are always there at the earliest and the latest hours possible. The Rotary 4-Way Test helps everyone who knows it, and my grandma really shows it with her actions. She amazes me every day, because she uses these questions daily without even noticing. My grandmother thinks about her loved ones before she thinks about herself. My grandma is an inspiration not only to me, but to all that know her.