Children of Kigali for peace10/16/10: I am returning to this reality, but it is not the same. I see things differently. So many things to be grateful for—push a button & warm my house, push a button & heat my food, push a button & have light, have so many clothes it’s hard to choose what to wear, drive to get enough groceries for a week & carry them 10 feet to the refrigerator, push a lever & have water to drink, rinse my toothbrush under the tap, eat fresh, raw fruits & vegetables, breathe clean air, trust my neighbors, sleep without insect repellent & mosquito netting, and so much more. I will have to learn where & when & with whom I can be as completely open & connected to others as I was at the orphanage. I didn’t know before that I wasn’t. I knew this journey would change me, but I don’t think it’s possible to be prepared for what you have never before experienced. All of the discomfort of the long, crowded flight, the running to make plane connections, the dust & diesel fumes, the vigilance about insects & water, the rollercoaster rides up the mountain, no toilets (except at the motel), not knowing the language, the early risings—they are like slight blemishes on an exquisite work of art, hardly noticeable in the beauty of the whole. I’m not sure where I will take my blog next, but I think I’ll focus on aspects of Rwanda & of the trainings & what the implications are for us here. Stay tuned.
Sharing your experiences help us realize how good we have it too. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us!
ReplyDeleteVery lovely ... one should consider the possibility that we should become more like these people ... as much as they and we seem to wish them to become like us? Best if they are shared connections of wisdom.
ReplyDeleteMarie, thank you for reading & sharing. I've never blogged before & I didn't know how nice it feels to have responses. I will do more of that.
ReplyDeletelung-gom-pa, I so agree with the things you have to say. It bothers me to see so many of them in Western dress & now with the official language being English. My next blog also addresses this (I wrote it before I read your comment).