The notes from my trip are finally digitized. I did that this weekend, and since then I haven't gotten South Africa off my brain. My sense of empathy has been heightened, and I'm not quite sure I can switch it off. I get wrapped up in the plight and problems of others, and all I want to do is make it go away for them. I can't stop thinking about all of those people in South Africa.
Many times people have asked me what super power I would want, and I've decided what I wanted: I want to be able to take away people's pain -- physical and mental. Those who are sick can die in peace, those who are mentally ill can feel no frustration. It just seems like some pain in this world is only meant to remind us of our mortality. Misery, to an extent, is deadly -- therefore in my mind, it is unnecessary. As humans, we need that sense of misery sometimes, but there are so many people in this world who are suffering for no reason, and I want to take that away.
Serge has a lot of pain in his life now -- physical and mental, and I wish he didn't. It's hard for me to say to him, "well, you signed up for this," while still telling him that everything will be OK. I wonder if I can re-write my DNA with some Eve and figure out how to shoot beams of pain relieving happiness or something; anyone know some guy named Andrew Ryan?
Anyway, we had a UN project meeting today, and the transcription begins! From the sounds of it, it will be hell, but I'm ready for it. I don't really have the time, but I'll make it. We got so much information from the townships we visited, and I feel like the world needs to know about it. I feel like the world needs to know about the huge social problems going on in South Africa right now so that maybe the citizens will stop ignoring their problems and finally realize that they are in control of their own destinies. I want them to stop and think, "oh, hey, maybe I should wear a condom." Or maybe, "Oh, hey, maybe I shouldn't hit my wife or rape this child." And I wish so much for the US to do the same; perhaps we could stop relying on our huge ego and realize that we've got some damn big problems in this country too.
I wish I believed in some higher power, cause sometimes I feel like the only hope is beyond us --
even though it's not. The hope is here.
2 comments:
Philosophically speaking, mightn't it be a problem if people no longer were reminded of their own mortality? Not that I'm in favor of pointless pain, but you know what they say. It's a lesson. It's an attention-getter. It's humbling. All these have certainly been true for me in different situations, giving me a chance to correct them. I guess I'm just saying: wield your superpowers carefully. ;)
I totally agree with you on that. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need that reminder. The memories of our past would suffice.
If only...if only.
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