Personal Qualities, Group Impact Seoyi Lee

As I rolled my eyes at the kids running around, I was at a loss. I was given the responsibility to teach children from the orphanage to play the cello in preparation for a concert, but I couldn’t even get the kids to sit down in their seats.

“Josh, the bow doesn’t go that way…”

“Jose, the cello is an instrument, not a toy…”

And there was Diana. She was a sassy Latina teenager without parents. She constantly gave me attitude, talked back, and pretty much did the opposite of what I would ask her to do. And then finally after a month of constant tug and pull, I was done with the lack of her enthusiasm. “If you don’t want to practice, then there is no point in coming here and wasting both our time.”Silence. No sass. She simply looked at me. Tears came rolling down her cheeks. I felt as though I was a parent and maybe this was the first time she had ever been disciplined. However, tears were not what I had expected. I began to console her and explain that I was not mad, but rather frustrated with her lack of interest. Through her sobbing and gasping for air, I could barely discern her words.“No one cares what I do….why do you care?”

Care? Of course I care! Why would she even ask that? I suddenly realized what I had done wrong. I...