Ramblings Of My Heart
Once in a while you encounter situations, people, things that make you realize that somethings you just say, or think or do are really inconsequential relative to what other people are going through. I'm not one who usually sets new year resolutions on january 1st. Why? Because my actual new year is july 20th and also because making resolutions and reaffirming them should not be constrained to one particular day or time. All the same I guess I can officially label 2006 my year of Revolutions.
What kind of revolutions you might ask? Revolutions about who I am, who I was, who I might become, and more especially revolutions about where I come from. I have always been a proud Ghanaian/African, but in recent times, I'm even more proud of where I'm from. The irony of it all though is that I had to leave Ghana, and come all the way here to the US before I actually saw things I knew all along or thought I knew all along.
You see, every country has its own problems, every person has his or her own issues, and i'm sure someone who doesn't know how to swim cannot be saved by a friend who's drowning, now can he? And that's usually where it ends. Where people give up and accept what life deals them and others without trying. Who knows? That person who knows not how to swim, might actually be very adept at floating, and that person drowning might actually be able to swim if he would stop panicking...but all those possibilities come to nothing when neither tries.
I happened to come across this documentary thing on Child Soldiers in Uganda, and I guess its just another one of those little revelations I was aware of, but really knew nothing about. Sometimes, I just sit and ask myself, would God really just sit and watch all these things happening???? There's only so much we humans can do!!! And its probably the truth. The thing is, we're not doing half of the "so much we can do".
I daresay that I have led a pretty sheltered life. I wouldn't call my family rich or anything of the sort, but I have led a relatively good life. And yet, I take these opportunities for granted. I have the chance to DO something, and yet I stop myself...out of what? Fear, Uncertainty, Laziness, or just pure Ignorance. I'm not declaring myself some superwoman, but I do have the power...just like each of us does. If there's anything I have learnt over the past couple of years, it is that NOTHING is by chance. EVERYTHING serves one purpose or another. You could decide to laugh at me being all "cliche or philosophical or what-not", but its the essential truth.
One thought that continues echoing in my mind and heart when I think about Ghana, Africa and all the injustices of the world is "Just hang in there, we'll come help you soon." Notice that "soon" is a relative word. It could be a century or a day. I sincerely wish I could just get up and do all the things I wish I could do to make a positive difference in people's lives. But lets be realistic, there are some resources one would need in order to do that.
I don't even know where I am going with this note...I guess I just needed to write/type? But if nothing at all, its helped clarify some things. And maybe, if a couple of days from now or a year from now, I find myself off track, I'll read this, and re-resolutionarise my life. And for anyone reading this, I hope it was of some use to you in some way.
I encourage people to watch this video...its about an hour-long and the beginning might not seem too serious, but please, PLEASE, for the love of God, just try to watch it until at least the middle. The link is http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3166797753930210643
You can also go to the official website of the guys who shot the video: www.invisiblechildren.com . Thanks.
- Jemila
Once in a while you encounter situations, people, things that make you realize that somethings you just say, or think or do are really inconsequential relative to what other people are going through. I'm not one who usually sets new year resolutions on january 1st. Why? Because my actual new year is july 20th and also because making resolutions and reaffirming them should not be constrained to one particular day or time. All the same I guess I can officially label 2006 my year of Revolutions.
What kind of revolutions you might ask? Revolutions about who I am, who I was, who I might become, and more especially revolutions about where I come from. I have always been a proud Ghanaian/African, but in recent times, I'm even more proud of where I'm from. The irony of it all though is that I had to leave Ghana, and come all the way here to the US before I actually saw things I knew all along or thought I knew all along.
You see, every country has its own problems, every person has his or her own issues, and i'm sure someone who doesn't know how to swim cannot be saved by a friend who's drowning, now can he? And that's usually where it ends. Where people give up and accept what life deals them and others without trying. Who knows? That person who knows not how to swim, might actually be very adept at floating, and that person drowning might actually be able to swim if he would stop panicking...but all those possibilities come to nothing when neither tries.
I happened to come across this documentary thing on Child Soldiers in Uganda, and I guess its just another one of those little revelations I was aware of, but really knew nothing about. Sometimes, I just sit and ask myself, would God really just sit and watch all these things happening???? There's only so much we humans can do!!! And its probably the truth. The thing is, we're not doing half of the "so much we can do".
I daresay that I have led a pretty sheltered life. I wouldn't call my family rich or anything of the sort, but I have led a relatively good life. And yet, I take these opportunities for granted. I have the chance to DO something, and yet I stop myself...out of what? Fear, Uncertainty, Laziness, or just pure Ignorance. I'm not declaring myself some superwoman, but I do have the power...just like each of us does. If there's anything I have learnt over the past couple of years, it is that NOTHING is by chance. EVERYTHING serves one purpose or another. You could decide to laugh at me being all "cliche or philosophical or what-not", but its the essential truth.
One thought that continues echoing in my mind and heart when I think about Ghana, Africa and all the injustices of the world is "Just hang in there, we'll come help you soon." Notice that "soon" is a relative word. It could be a century or a day. I sincerely wish I could just get up and do all the things I wish I could do to make a positive difference in people's lives. But lets be realistic, there are some resources one would need in order to do that.
I don't even know where I am going with this note...I guess I just needed to write/type? But if nothing at all, its helped clarify some things. And maybe, if a couple of days from now or a year from now, I find myself off track, I'll read this, and re-resolutionarise my life. And for anyone reading this, I hope it was of some use to you in some way.
I encourage people to watch this video...its about an hour-long and the beginning might not seem too serious, but please, PLEASE, for the love of God, just try to watch it until at least the middle. The link is http://video.google.com/vi
You can also go to the official website of the guys who shot the video: www.invisiblechildren.com . Thanks.
- Jemila
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