Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Oops...

As I went to sleep last night I suddenly remembered I forgot to post on my Blog! I had it all planned out early on in the day, but never got around to my computer to write it up, so here it is, just a little late.

I had the privilege yesterday of meeting up with a friend I hadn't seen in a few years for coffee, and it really got me thinking about some things. One of the things it got me thinking about was my trip to Kenya, and how it felt coming home again, and how little people really cared. I never did get to present my experiences to anyone, most people didn't really want to hear anymore than "it was an amazing experience", and feeling like I had so many people's stories to tell and no one wanting to hear about them. My trip had not been about doing things, it was about seeing what the people were already doing themselves. I remember not wanting to come home at the end of my month there, and I remember wanting to go back so badly (I still do actually) but thinking at the same time, I have nothing to offer these people. They have everything they need in a lot of ways, but just need someone to help them discover how they can change, and provide a loan to help them on their way. I still often believe that if I were ever to go back, the best thing I could offer them is the skills and training of Josh - an engineer with an interest in power, specifically anaerobic digestion power (power from poop as someone once put it).

Over this last year since being in Kenya, I still find that my experiences and the stories of those I met do still effect me, but I don't think anyone else really knows that, and that makes me sad.


Many of these thoughts, and others, I reflected on as I walked around McMaster University Campus on the way home for the coffee house in Westdale. I must say that right now is my favourite time to be on campus - the campus is absolutely beautiful as it has had all summer to recover from the students, it has been freshly gardened and cleaned, ready for the arrival of all the new students on the long weekend, and yet, because it is still summer and summer school has ended, there is hardly anyone walking around the campus.

This obviously isn't a picture I took yesterday, but it's a picture of one little boy whose story in a way became part of mine.

2 comments:

alison said...

glad you had a reflective day... and glad I'm not the only one who doesn't quite know how to help!

Elsel said...

Tell me his story.....