Through the troubles and stresses of everyday life, some people take a cynical, caustic view of its surrounding world. And through this jaded outlook, these people are often quick to doubt, to shoot down ideas, and to say no.  Luckily, my personal experience with my community has been utterly in contrast with this.
	As Aristotle said, community begins with the family unit. While my parents, two immigrants who have had to hard work for everything they possess, have as much a right to cynicism as anyone, they chose to take the opposite approach.  Recently, when I told my parents I wanted to work in alternative energy or environmental engineering, they at first needed some convincing. After all, better money could be made in other fields, and they, like all parents, wanted a life better than their own. But, after some convincing, they understood my decision, and often show me articles or research they come across. And while when I pitched the idea of going to Tanzania to volunteer and do my part in alleviating the horrors I had seen two years prior, I was initially met with resistance due to contracting malaria there during my last visit, my parents supported my urge, and understood that it would help me grow as a person.
	My school makes up a large part of my community as well. With a wide range of courses, and surprisingly lax rules on what classes a student can take, the school When I spoke to the principle about the Energy and Sustainability club and our ideas to decrease waste, I was not treated as an idealist who could not get anything meaningful done, but a partner who could help the school and help the community. The school, despite its suburban New Jersey setting, is as open as its sprawling California-style campus; its goal is not to restrict and ground us with our short comings, but lets us fly with our abilities.