Working Inspired

Serena Bacon (L) and Harli Mahon (R) reclaiming garden beds from a sea of weeds. Both teens are working in the garden
​this summer ​through the CDO Workforce Summer Youth Employee Program.

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“Inspiration is the windfall from hard work and focus.”
~ Helen Hanson

     ​     I’ve been putting in quite a bit of hard work in the ACS greenhouse since I started working there. Working through the heat weeding, refilling beds, and watering. Coming home covered in dirt and sweat. It’s not exactly what I would call pleasant (or attractive). But, you know what I would call it? Inspiring.
     
     My first day at the greenhouse, I was met with a list of tasks to be done this summer and the sight of garden beds overrun with weeds. I was not feeling incredibly confident or excited about the outcome of my time working there, but I started weeding anyways. And then my perspective changed. Little by little, I began to see more soil peeking through the weeds. Before I knew it, the entire bed was clear and I saw the results of my hard work. Looking around, I could see my fellow greenhouse teammates making similar progress. Although we were all tired and hot, it was well worth it to see the first few beds emerge from the tangle of weeds. And that was only the first day.

     Since then, we’ve weeded almost all the beds in the greenhouse and started weeding some of the beds outside. We’ve added compost to a few weeded beds and planted lettuce and kale. The view has improved considerably since that first day, and, I’m happy to say, so has my perspective. I am truly inspired - both by the progress we’ve made and by the dedication of the people I work with. I’ve always been a hard worker, but I’ve found that I work even harder when I have the opportunity to work alongside other hard workers and see just how much we’ve accomplished every day.
                                                                                                                                                                                                ~ Serena Bacon