"My life should be unique; it should be an alms, a battle, a conquest, a medicine."
            
             -Ralph Waldo Emerson
            
            
             Two years ago this December, I began taking bag lunches to downtown Charlotte to aid homeless people. I was inspired after participating in an activity called "Room in the Inn." The Room in the Inn provides a place for those who do not have homes to sleep, or a warm meal for an evening. I was not only shocked after participating in such an event, I was ashamed of myself. I was ashamed that I could have ever been so ignorant not to notice these types of people before, but furthermore, I was ashamed that I took every simple luxury I possessed for granted. I learned that the soup kitchen located in the city did not provide sufficient service to those that needed food and a place to say. This was extremely disheartening. Charlotte, just the one year before had been voted the "Third most unfriendly city to homeless." At the time, I was two years less mature and needless to say, I was naive. My idea of service was to begin a valiant conquest to make an enormous difference in a huge area. As I began to take action, I started over a vast area of city, and tried to help hundreds of people. In reality, the affect I was making was miniscule. As time passed, and my thoughts of service evolved, so did my approach. I realized that the only way to help was to start from the inside and work my way out. So I started working on a much smaller, more personal level. I actually took the time to get to know those I was attempting to help, and develop personal relationships. I took down far less food and allowed myself to spend more time in a certain area, to become recognized, and hopefully even accepted. This, in retrospect, was the most intelligent thing I have ever done. It is also the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I learned more valuable lessons from those I met on the streets than I could ever...