A Look Back

It's already been eleven days since I started my fundraiser, and I've raised £1,200 in that short time. That in itself still astounds me. When I started on this project, I never dreamed that I would get this far. I had only set myself a £700 target, thinking that it would take weeks to reach even that figure. Yet my expectations have been greatly surpassed.

Having looked back on everything that has happened since last Monday, I remember and have kept to heart the words of all the passersby and people who took the time to stop and have a chat, or to give me words of encouragement, although I was a stranger to them. Even today, in Marcus Garvey Park, I met an amiable lady who had dropped by to water the plants, since the warm weather could inconvenience them. She introduced herself as one of the members of the Park friends, and, besides congratulating me for my work and urging me to carry on, suggested that perhaps I could join them one day to help them keep the area clean. And even before then, in both parks where I've been working, similar things had been said to me by men and women of all ages, whether they be dog-walkers, runners or fellow litter-pickers - they have all reached out to me, and touched me with their kindness.

By giving back to the society around me through my actions, I can become closer to its people and identify with their ideas and actions, instead of living in my own little bubble. Such conversations seem to me to be indicators that I'm succeeding in that goal, and becoming a better citizen. That is what fuels me on, and so I look forward to the days to come. 

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