Simply Human

Above me were a million stars and below millions of grains of sands. The vastness of the Sahara displayed my own insignificance. Out of the 7 billion people in the world I am one. So how can I change it? By impacting as many lives as possible. I have touched hearts in Cambodia, Tanzania, and Morocco- but to continue this journey I need to touch more and dig deeper. Continuing to travel- exposing myself to new cultures, challenging my current beliefs, and pushing myself are the first requirements. There have been many bonds formed, but to keep them alive these relationships must be nurtured. I challenge myself to do this throughout the future- to not only expand but to grow. However beautiful the flowers are on a tree it is the roots that give it strength. So I need to travel back to the places where I planted seeds of my heart, and help these bonds grow throughout my life. To rekindle flames into a roaring fire that will never die. I refuse to let these trips just be a memory of what used to be. This however, is only half the battle. The rest has the power to shape the world. As I see new cultures, meet new people a battle can be won at home- not across the world. If I change but no one else does what is the point? Sharing your enlightenment is necessary in order for the world to change. The world can change one person, but how can you change the world? This battle is won by sharing your story- helping alter the perception of a culture rather than just a life.

            It took a 12 year old to change my outlook. Sitting in her living space Ghita taught us about her culture. Ghita is hardworking and a leader in her class putting her ahead and making her one of the most intelligent members in her family. And her family decided to envy this 12 year old girl. Ghita is forced to abide to rules her younger brother is not and encouraged to not attend summer course so her cousins catch up. She is blissfully unaware of her circumstance but her mother sees it all too well. However, despite her family’s indifference and criticism, Ghita aspires to be an agricultural engineer and refuses to let her family prevent her from accomplishing her dreams. Despite these tensions Ghita preserves a strong sense of family. She addresses that no matter how much potential you have you will be held back without your family’s support. This made me think about my own family. How I rarely call my brother and sister and frequently get into spats with my parents. These small acts are what Ghita tries to avoid to preserve her family and it was remarkable to see this unity.

            Unified. This was her message to the world. “We do not have the right to judge others, God alone has this right. It is our job as humans to unify.” Keep in mind this is coming from a 12 year old. Wise beyond her years, Ghita said something every human should be aware of. We are not in charge of others; the only life we have the right to govern is our own. If you are judging look at the mirror, we are not divided because of our cultures- we are unified through humanity. Humans divide themselves but we are all the same. There is no you and I or us and them- simply we. Ghita, Kevin, Katie, and I began to discuss religion. Everything I have seen of Islam is good. The way they express their beliefs mirrors my own. As we intimately discussed our core beliefs a shiver ran down my spine and a clear picture was painted. Whatever religion we follow doesn’t matter- good will be good, bad will be bad. There are far more good people than bad, but it is easy to label an entire culture based off those who negatively represent it. We are all ambassadors to humanity and having the responsibility of this role we must be the good, see the good, and bring good to others. We are all ignorant, but I feel blessed to have insight into this culture and reinforce the idea that we are all the same.