May 9, 2006
I just returned from a six-day listening and learning trip to Africa, mainly Zambia, with your Uncle Kyle. We went there with a group called ONE.org who partnered with Bono to organize a trip so that people like your Uncle and I could educate ourselves about the bigger picture and begin to look outside ourselves. I was always aware of problems in the world, but I didn’t want to come out of nowhere, start talking, after just having read some books. I felt like it was more important to go there and see it, then start building awareness. While we were there, I really tried to be keenly observant of my surroundings. Your Uncle Kyle and I were outed as complete wusses when we saw some of the bugs though. It was hard to view ourselves as tough guys, cowering under the net and clutching our malaria meds! It was an incredible trip though, it definitely changed my life. I went there and I felt really inspired, and there were incredible people on the ground there doing incredible work. Instead of talking numbers, I actually got to see the lives affected by money that’s being sent there and used properly in programs that are having this wonderful effect. This helped me realize that many of the problems are solvable. Solving these problems is important to me because I know the world I leave to you is going to be affected by what I do, or what I don’t do. When I was growing up, your grandma put this note on the refrigerator. It was something that Gandhi said: “No matter how insignificant it may seem, it is most important that you do it.” Remembering this quote helped me realize that the best way to honor and love you is to do what I can, here and now.
No comments:
Post a Comment