Words That Shook My World
I woke up on November 12th of 2014 at 5:00 am.  I thought to myself, I can’t do this.  I don’t want to do this.  But at least I get to skip school to be with my friends in Saint Paul, right?  Once a year, there is an event in Saint Paul called WE Day.  The WE organization is a charity that helps millions of people around the world find food, water, and shelter.  WE Day is meant to inspire student to help and contribute to others in the community.  But, I didn’t know what it was, I just thought they were going to chat about student council, and that's it.  I guess I really didn’t know anything.
The Cannon Falls student council arrives at the Xcel Energy Center around 9:00 am.  We see hundreds of people scattered around in a very small area, smiling and anxious.  Victor the Viking and T.C. Bear were walking around taking pictures.  I thought to myself, “This can’t be that bad.”  As we gather around to make sure everyone got off the bus, and I heard the loud music, booming like thunder.  Hundreds of people were dancing to the beat.  We go inside to see thousands looking upon the large stage where dozens of actors, dancers, and singers will perform.  I start to soak in what is happening, sit back, and wait for the stage to light up. 
About an hour later, the lights fade gently.  I had no clue what the purpose of WE Day was, so I didn’t know what to expect.  Two brothers walk out and proceed to say, “You deserve to be here,” and “You can not buy a ticket to be somewhere this special.”  Their words made tons of sense, and meant a lot.  These men are the founders of WE Day, and they describe their journey to these moments.  I finally understood the purpose of our attendance. I understood the reason I should be there.  We were to help others in our community, and possibly others around the globe. But how?
As the day went on, their words became more captivating.  Several speakers from around the world came to speak about international issues, and what we can do in our community to help others a whole world away.  Many actors, singers, and activists spoke throughout the day, such as Colbie Caillat, a singer, Magic Johnson, former NBA basketball player, and Spencer West, a Me to We motivational speaker.  Me to We is a large scale funding operation for humanitarian projects.  They spoke about Me to We over the course of 3 hours, which had huge impacts on me.  Impacts included realizing the issues people face to just get food, and water.  Realizing that, it empowered me to help change happen in a positive way in my community, and around the world.  I went on to the next few hours thinking I am going to somehow make a change. 
We arrived back at the school around 2:00 pm. I felt different, but it was a good different.  I got home and inspected the bag we received at WE Day.  I saw a book full of fun activities that people participated in to receive money and donate to local charities.  The bag also had a smaller blue bag that stated, “$50 in coins buys one goat,” which means if you raise $50, you are able to buy a goat for a family in need.  But, I always felt like I never do enough.  I never help others who are in need, and I just never get out there and experience something different.  But I took buying a goat for a family to heart it went for it.  I made $50 in coins over the course of 3 months, and it was absolutely worth it.  I bought a family in need a goat, and it felt pretty incredible.  WE Day has had a huge impact on many around the world, and I'm happy to be a part of it.  WE Day helped me learn about global problems, and made me more determined to get out there and be a better person by giving to others, and appreciate the small things we have.  “Sometimes if you want to see change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands.” - Clint Eastwood