It’s all about the People!
Time flew by fast. It is the end of September and I cannot believe that we returned from the Guatemala study abroad program four months ago. It will soon be a year and I will fail to recall many things that that we did, but there were certain things that I will forever retain. On the day before we were to leave Guatemala on our way to Antigua we played a reflection activity. This activity was not about what we learned academically but what we learned about each other and ourselves. It stirred us emotionally and brought us all closer to each other. Personally my learning was that I realized I like being surrounded by people, be it friends, acquaintances or even strangers. I feel strong and can give my best when I am connected to people and not pursuing things in solitude. I realized that as long as I am humble in my approach I could surely break the ice with anyone. It was the Guatemalans that also made me feel that sense of belonging through their conduct of respect and humility with us.
After two weeks in tropical Guatemala, it was hard to get back to work and it took time to get acclimated to the harsh heat in Arizona. Most of my cohorts and other friends had gone off for vacation or back home for the summers. A few close friends took off to far-off places for good and bidding them goodbye was difficult. There were hardly any friends in Tempe that stayed behind and it was going to be almost a three-months long wait until school would start. The previous semester had ended only 20 days ago and I was already missing all the hullabaloo of school. It was a sudden change from vacation mode to work mode that created this void in me. I was missing all the people around me and that made me appreciate their existence in my life. Living with a loving bunch of people for 10 days in Guatemala re-instilled in me the importance of expressing gratitude to every person in my life and to cherish each moment that I spend with them.
The program in Guatemala was not one in which we were to come up with solutions or teach Guatemalans sustainability. It was in fact an exercise for us to learn how to learn from people and be accepting to change and compromise. Understanding people and communities is not an easy job and I can vouch that we just saw the outer crust and know lot less about the life of a Guatemalan. After seeing all the community development programs in Guatemala I personally feel trust building is most crucial in understanding people and to unite them to work towards a shared vision. Sustainability be it in a neighborhood or city or country or all across the globe will require oneness of mind. And oneness of mind will only be possible when people start appreciating and respecting each other. We have to realize that we need each other to survive, it is not a competition of who reaches the goal first, but a journey together towards the same goal. As a Buddhist quote goes, “A huge change happens when one person takes 10,000 steps ahead, but a revolution is created when 10,000 people take a single step ahead in the same direction.” All that is required is that one person to stand up and take responsibility to generate a harmonious society and that person has to be not you, but me!