Sitting on the floor of my apartment with a girlfriend of mine, we talked about how our lives are percieved by the money and material goods we have. As it turns out, neither of us felt comfortable with the labels most people in Western culture would place upon us after judging by these standards. For myself, I feel extraordinarily wealthy. I have a nice, clean, one bedroom apartment all to myself. Do you know how amazing that is? There is a comfortable bed in my bedroom, a computer to type on, sanitary plumbing, and food in the kitchen. Clean water comes out of the faucet whenever I want. I own a working car and I have some money stashed away in savings. WOW...
This friend is heading to Africa next year. While talking about the sporadic rains and the drought, she wondered why the people didn't just store the excess food during the good years if they knew the drought was coming? How do you explain there is no excess food much less a secure place to store it if there was any or even the knowledge of what the weather would be like? How do you explain to someone who is also well-off that starving is a way of life for many even in the good times. How do you explain droughts in Kenya to someone who has never know lack of water?
Africa won't let me go. Seeing people struggling under that much weight, seeing what life is like there profoundly changed me. Meeting my brothers and my sisters, hearing, seeing their spirits, it really moved me and made me realize a very different view of myself and the world.
I came across this documentary on hulu which I watched tonight. It holds so many of the things I wish I could show you all for yourselves, touches on so many of the issues my heart is crying out for. Alicia speaks so much truth I too, have taken to the core of my being. It's around 44 minutes, I hope you'll watch it.
Alicia in Africa, Journey to the MotherlandLabels: Africa