This blog post is going to be about an organization that has changed my life.
The other day Megan (my bff) and I went to the gym at school. Well you have to scan your ID card when you go in and mine has a little Driving Jacks sticker on it. The guy working looked at it and looked at me and said “Driving Jacks? Are you a part of that organization?” Which I replied with a smile and said YES! He looked back at me and said “Wait you don’t get paid right?” Right. “So why do you do it?” Now this caught me off guard. I have never been asked this question in this manner. People usually say something like “Oh I’d never do that.” or “Tell me why you decided to be a Driving Jack.” So I took a minute and he looked back at me and said “For the love right!” To this I replied with a bigger smile and said, “I do it to save lives.” This conversation was so brief but weighed so heavily on my heart.
For all of those who don’t know about Driving Jacks let me catch you up! Driving Jacks is a safe ride program here at SFA. The reason it started was because of a college student named Amy Shields. If you know about Driving Jacks or know a Driving Jack, you should know Amy. She was a part of SGA and attended Texas A&M for a visit and saw their program called CARPOOL. (Shout out to CARPOOL) She came back to the Piney Woods and said we need something like this. Well sadly in October of 2004 she passed away from a drunk driver. Amy’s friends knew how passionate she was about starting this so they gave it their all and started working hard at it. Driving Jacks started out at a sub-organization of SGA and then became its own organization and gave their first ride on January 25, 2008. Since then we have saved over 30,000 lives!
Now that you know at least the back-story of DJ you can gather a better understanding of the rest of this post and my love for this organization.
So I didn’t think much about this encounter until later that night. Is this what most people think about DJ? Why would they not understand why I do what I do? Then it dawned on me that not every person sees from the perspective I see from. To some we are just college kids who drive other college kids home after a night out. To me it is so much more. It’s saving another Amy, a brother, sister, aunt, boyfriend. It’s saving that family that is just traveling through town. It is saving that soon to be college grad from a DWI. There is so much more than just driving drunk people home. We like to call ourselves lime green heroes because in our eyes that’s what we are. We save people’s lives.
I have had the honor and pleasure of meeting Amy’s parents recently at our annual 5K. They were so kind and loving and so grateful of us. Basically the whole organization was in shock because we got to meet them. It was such an amazing experience because I didn’t know Amy or know anyone that knew Amy. When she passed away I was only in the fourth grade. Usually when I talk about Amy I find myself getting a tad emotional and it makes my hands sweaty and I get that anxious feeling in my gut. I never really understood how I could feel so attached and so emotional about someone that I never knew. All I knew was that I did feel that way. It took some growing into this organization and hearing from the alumni who knew Amy to make me really realize why I had this connection to Amy. I feel that I was called to do something great in my life. I believe we are all called and will do something great. No matter how big or small it may be. I think, no I know that Driving Jacks is my great thing I will do. Amy has hand selected these people to be a part of this organization whether you realize it or not. She has taught us so many things and shown us how to be better people. I have a HUGE place in my heart for Amy and I will forever have that place for her. With that being said, this is why meeting Amy’s parents was one of the greatest moments of my life. It was like actually getting to meet and talk to a piece of Amy. I was so nervous but also at such peace when I met them.
I have so much love and passion for this organization it is unreal. One of my favorite things that is more behind the scenes is watching the members within grow and learn to love this organization and each other. I have been blessed to be an officer for about 2 years now and I have been so lucky to be chosen as the current Vice President. Holding an officer position is one of my greatest accomplishments and I’m so thankful for it. I get to see upfront the new members transform into old members and into new officers. I get to see team leaders move on to an officer position. Its so gratifying to be able to watch these people grow and learn not only how to be a better leader but to learn how to love something that gives them nothing in return. To me that is one of life’s biggest blessings. Think about all the things you deeply love. How many of those provide something in return? If you have one that provides nothing then you are truly blessed. This past batch of new members is very close to my heart. I haven’t seen such a big group completely dive head first into an organization and give it their all. They are hungry and driven and can’t wait to start saving lives. It makes my heart whole. I have now got to watch them turn into officers and team leaders and man I tell you (sorry for the southern-ness) they are going to be great. I can feel it. They love this organization like they have been in it their whole life. It is really something.
I leave this place I’ve called home, these people I have called family in a year. Whether you know it or not every person that has been, or is in Driving Jacks, is forever changed by this beautiful organization. Some people are called to do it because they lost a loved one, some people want to find friends and some want to get involved, whatever it might be it doesn’t matter. You’re here now or you’ve been here and really that’s all that matters. What you take away from this experience is up to you and how you chose to spend it.
“Life is for living. Life is a gift we’re given each and every day. Dream about tomorrow but live for today. Love turns the ordinary into extraordinary. Life’s a journey always worth taking. Take time to smell the roses… and tulips… and daffodils…lilacs and sunflowers. Count blessings like children count stars. The secret of a happy life isn’t buried in a treasure chest. It lies within your heart. It’s the little moments that make life big. Don’t wait. Make memories today. Celebrate your life.”
This is a quote that was on the back of Amy’s door in her room. I believe it sums up everything in the post and how Amy viewed life and how we all should.
Xoxo Meg
The other day Megan (my bff) and I went to the gym at school. Well you have to scan your ID card when you go in and mine has a little Driving Jacks sticker on it. The guy working looked at it and looked at me and said “Driving Jacks? Are you a part of that organization?” Which I replied with a smile and said YES! He looked back at me and said “Wait you don’t get paid right?” Right. “So why do you do it?” Now this caught me off guard. I have never been asked this question in this manner. People usually say something like “Oh I’d never do that.” or “Tell me why you decided to be a Driving Jack.” So I took a minute and he looked back at me and said “For the love right!” To this I replied with a bigger smile and said, “I do it to save lives.” This conversation was so brief but weighed so heavily on my heart.
For all of those who don’t know about Driving Jacks let me catch you up! Driving Jacks is a safe ride program here at SFA. The reason it started was because of a college student named Amy Shields. If you know about Driving Jacks or know a Driving Jack, you should know Amy. She was a part of SGA and attended Texas A&M for a visit and saw their program called CARPOOL. (Shout out to CARPOOL) She came back to the Piney Woods and said we need something like this. Well sadly in October of 2004 she passed away from a drunk driver. Amy’s friends knew how passionate she was about starting this so they gave it their all and started working hard at it. Driving Jacks started out at a sub-organization of SGA and then became its own organization and gave their first ride on January 25, 2008. Since then we have saved over 30,000 lives!
Now that you know at least the back-story of DJ you can gather a better understanding of the rest of this post and my love for this organization.
So I didn’t think much about this encounter until later that night. Is this what most people think about DJ? Why would they not understand why I do what I do? Then it dawned on me that not every person sees from the perspective I see from. To some we are just college kids who drive other college kids home after a night out. To me it is so much more. It’s saving another Amy, a brother, sister, aunt, boyfriend. It’s saving that family that is just traveling through town. It is saving that soon to be college grad from a DWI. There is so much more than just driving drunk people home. We like to call ourselves lime green heroes because in our eyes that’s what we are. We save people’s lives.
I have had the honor and pleasure of meeting Amy’s parents recently at our annual 5K. They were so kind and loving and so grateful of us. Basically the whole organization was in shock because we got to meet them. It was such an amazing experience because I didn’t know Amy or know anyone that knew Amy. When she passed away I was only in the fourth grade. Usually when I talk about Amy I find myself getting a tad emotional and it makes my hands sweaty and I get that anxious feeling in my gut. I never really understood how I could feel so attached and so emotional about someone that I never knew. All I knew was that I did feel that way. It took some growing into this organization and hearing from the alumni who knew Amy to make me really realize why I had this connection to Amy. I feel that I was called to do something great in my life. I believe we are all called and will do something great. No matter how big or small it may be. I think, no I know that Driving Jacks is my great thing I will do. Amy has hand selected these people to be a part of this organization whether you realize it or not. She has taught us so many things and shown us how to be better people. I have a HUGE place in my heart for Amy and I will forever have that place for her. With that being said, this is why meeting Amy’s parents was one of the greatest moments of my life. It was like actually getting to meet and talk to a piece of Amy. I was so nervous but also at such peace when I met them.
I have so much love and passion for this organization it is unreal. One of my favorite things that is more behind the scenes is watching the members within grow and learn to love this organization and each other. I have been blessed to be an officer for about 2 years now and I have been so lucky to be chosen as the current Vice President. Holding an officer position is one of my greatest accomplishments and I’m so thankful for it. I get to see upfront the new members transform into old members and into new officers. I get to see team leaders move on to an officer position. Its so gratifying to be able to watch these people grow and learn not only how to be a better leader but to learn how to love something that gives them nothing in return. To me that is one of life’s biggest blessings. Think about all the things you deeply love. How many of those provide something in return? If you have one that provides nothing then you are truly blessed. This past batch of new members is very close to my heart. I haven’t seen such a big group completely dive head first into an organization and give it their all. They are hungry and driven and can’t wait to start saving lives. It makes my heart whole. I have now got to watch them turn into officers and team leaders and man I tell you (sorry for the southern-ness) they are going to be great. I can feel it. They love this organization like they have been in it their whole life. It is really something.
I leave this place I’ve called home, these people I have called family in a year. Whether you know it or not every person that has been, or is in Driving Jacks, is forever changed by this beautiful organization. Some people are called to do it because they lost a loved one, some people want to find friends and some want to get involved, whatever it might be it doesn’t matter. You’re here now or you’ve been here and really that’s all that matters. What you take away from this experience is up to you and how you chose to spend it.
“Life is for living. Life is a gift we’re given each and every day. Dream about tomorrow but live for today. Love turns the ordinary into extraordinary. Life’s a journey always worth taking. Take time to smell the roses… and tulips… and daffodils…lilacs and sunflowers. Count blessings like children count stars. The secret of a happy life isn’t buried in a treasure chest. It lies within your heart. It’s the little moments that make life big. Don’t wait. Make memories today. Celebrate your life.”
This is a quote that was on the back of Amy’s door in her room. I believe it sums up everything in the post and how Amy viewed life and how we all should.
Xoxo Meg