The End

Well, my experience in India is beyond compare; and beyond words. I had such a fantastic time. Helping all of those unforunate people in the colonies wasI extremely humbling, and has really put things into perspective for me. I use to try as hard as I could to focus on what I had, not what I didnt have. Honestly, it never really worked. I always saw things that other people had, and envied them. Going to India and seeing the poverty there really changed my outlook on life. As I have said in a past post, genuine happiness comes from being around people that care about you. I've pointed this out to a few people in the last week, and they told me no one cared for them. No matter who you are, there is always someone out there that cares about you. But enough about that. I came home to a life of luxury, and my first thoughts were about how I truly do not need any of the things I have. At the Elephant House, we had many many things that most people do not have, such as an air conditioner, clean water, showers, plumbing, electricity, internet, fridges, beds, and washing machines. Here I have all the things listed above, along with many other useless things. It makes me realize how incredibly lucky I am. For example, right now I am typing on my computer, watching television, and lying in my bed. My stomach is full, I'm clean, and healthy. Where I was, people sleep on concrete floors, bathe every few days in a river, and skip meals for days just so they can have a television. Its crazy. The thing that makes you truly happy is seeing beauty in anything and everything, and the company of another human being. Thats all most of these people have, and they are some of the happiest people I have ever met. When I first was on the medic team, and I got my first glimpse of their disfigured limbs, I was repulsed. This feeling came from two things: they were disfigured, and mainly, that I was disgusted by their bodies. After a few minutes, I came to realize that I was looking into the eyes of some of the most beautiful people I have ever met. They are all so grateful of the care we provide for them, for the education we are giving their children; for everything. The first day I was on medical, I had an experience that I will never forget. One of the leprosy afflicted men in the colony came up and urged us all to fold our arms. He then proceeded to pray. The prayer lasted a few minutes, and was entirely in Tamil. Kim, the medical coordinator, caught a few words here and there: Bless you, Holy Father, Thank you. One thing that I was afraid of was the language barrier. It made things just a bit complex, but they get their point across using hand gestures and whatnot. I'm well aware of the fact that I was only in India a little over two weeks, but I can honestly say that I have grown up a bit; found out who I am in a way. I have found out the meaning of happiness, realized how fortunate and blessed I am to have been raised in the enviroment I was brought up in, and realized that everyone, no matter who they are, have beauty inside of them. People are not just obstacles, they are human beings. They arent there for your satisfaction or gain, they are here because they deserve to be. I apologize for my writing, I am going off in many multiple directions, and there is no flow to this. I am sort of just putting things down as they pop into my head. I love Rising Star. It's such an amazing organization, and has a fantastic support group. Please, check it out. Sponsor a kid. Get involved. You wont regret it.