3 months have come to an all
too rapid and abrupt end. During this time I’ve done everything from wrestling
with elephants to putting on a talent show. As I sit here reflecting on
everything we’ve accomplished as a group I can’t help but feel a sense of pride
as well as a bit of sorrow. When we first arrived we were all struck by how
beautiful South Africa is, and I remember being immediately struck by the
pockets of poverty amidst the beauty. That is what this trip has been for me, a
combination of ugliness amidst beauty. During orientation we were taken to all
of the gorgeous views Cape Town had to offer. At the same time we were shown
the townships that sprawled across sections of the city.
After being properly situated
and released into the wild so to speak, I developed friendships with many of
the locals. Once again even the people demonstrated the duality between beauty
and ugliness. I met some of the most physically and spiritually beautiful
people of my life. The people were able to wax poetic about community, love,
forgiveness, courage, you name it. They forced me to reflect on things that I
had never even considered in my entire life. Those same people could say
equally terrible things. One of my coworkers for instance talked about how the
country was moving towards a better place and how happy she was her kids were
being given the opportunities she was never afforded. Immediately after this
she, a coloured woman, began to talk about how terrible the blacks are in this
country. She warned me against trusting them because they were dangerous and
base creatures. It just went to show me that some prejudices die hard.
The people that came with me
on this trip even began to demonstrate this duality. We would have these
profound discussions about life and race, and turn around and make assumptions
about one another and people we’d met. Or we would come to the realization that
there was no point in sweating the small stuff and that everyone should show
compassion to one another, right before we started bickering and treating one
another poorly. Overall this group has grown and done some truly inspiring
things. I think everyone has honestly developed a greater consciousness about
how our actions can affect others.
All of this ugliness and
beauty has given me something I might have lost along the way, and that’s hope.
Being in South Africa has given me a hope for the future of our planet and our
species. I see now that no matter what terrible thing is going on there is
always something good to be found. My peers and the history of South Africa
have taught me that if just one person stands up then they can make the world a
better place. Our activist projects have shown me that everyone wants to be
happy and do the right thing. All it takes is the opportunity. So as I fly home
I feel a great sense of sorrow at leaving a place that has given me so much,
but I know that the beauty of it all is that I’m going home to another
beautiful place that is yearning to learn the lessons South Africa has taught
me. To all of my co-educators, to the people of South Africa and to everyone
waiting at home I cannot express how much I appreciate every last one of you, and
words cannot describe how much I love everyone.
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