| Sunday, March 16, 2008 |
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So this week, almost 7 months after the fact, I've gotta give a presentation to the consuelo board regarding my trip to the Philippines. How has my experiences over on that side of the world really changed my thinking, my method of doing over here? Better question, how has it not? In what manner have I not been challenged both as a professional and as a living breathing person?
For starters, the words community and interdependence took on new meaning for me while I was over there. I mean when you grow up in a culture that preaches about the joys and freedoms of independence, it's weird to live in a world that lives and breathes community. And there's real beauty in that two way process. Yep I said two way process because to all those world shakers out there who will give their left nut to help their neighbour, you gotta be willing to receive help yourself. Maybe it's an asian thing but i think thinking like this was almost counter intuitive for me: Always was easy for me to give help/lend a hand/do a favour but was so reluctant to receive these same services for myself. Martyr syndrome? Whatever the case, it don't play like that and that's not community as you're in essence robbing people you served of an opportunity to reciprocate.
And living over there and listening to some of the horror stories that some of these poor souls have gone through, yet you'd never ever see it from their bright affects... that's true resilience right there.
And that's really only the tip of the iceberg. I'm not much of an ego pusher but for me to say that I have in no way grown and realized new things about myself and my surroundings would be a big fatty lie. I sense, feel, think differently now. |
posted by DarrenGene @ 3:31 AM  |
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