A Life Changing Experience

On Friday, I had the pleasure of running into a young man who I had mentored for a number of years through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I had not seen him in quite some time, and to be honest, I had little idea of what he had been up to in recent years.

The cause for our re-acquaintance was noteworthy. He was on campus to register for the spring semester and bumped into me in Seymour’s. Nic indicated to me he was still a little unsure about the degree he will pursue—coaching for the time being—but wanted to do “something with young people.” As someone who had invested in his life as a young man, I couldn’t think of anything cooler.

The topic of our conversation was only in part about the future. Mostly, we just got up-to-speed with each others’ lives and talked about the time we had spent together many years ago. Nic remembered that time fondly, as did I.

Here is the thing about service we all should know—service changes you perhaps more than the person you serve. Nic thanked me for the time I had spent with him as he was growing up. I reciprocated, because that experience changed my life as well.

Truth is, though, I can stand to serve more. I should be more selfless; I have more to give. I hope that this interaction is inspiration for my doing so.