It seems almost silly to write about why my time in South Africa was important. My experience has irrevocably changed my life, my views, and my future. I cannot imagine who I would be today without those four months. Though perhaps I cannot begin to guess who I would be with any four month period of my life eliminated, these four months were especially important in shaping the person I have become.
Recently I have been thinking about how I do not carry a notebook anymore. In South Africa, I used to carry a small notepad with me so that I could write facts down as I learned them (got this idea from Britt – thanks!). Back in America, I have ceased doing so. I have not ceased learning, but it made me sad to think about the fact that I was learning something totally new every single day in South Africa and was compelled to write it down to commit it to memory.
Going to South Africa exposed me to realities to which I had previously been ignorant. I came to understand the world and my place in it in a totally new way. As I began to think more about the fact that I no longer carry a notepad with me, I realized that it is not so bad. My time in South Africa was not about the facts that I collected in a book. I cannot remember the exact numbers and I have not referenced the book and I am not ashamed about that. My time in South Africa was not about the accumulation of knowledge. Instead, it was a shifting of perspective; a rare lifetime experience that I am eternally grateful for.
No comments:
Post a Comment