It is impossible to know when epiphanies happen, especially when trying to be detected from a third party. Likely, it was not even such an event. I truly think it was encapsulated within, a seed in a vault not given an opportunity to become something beautiful, a gift to the ecosystem, sacrificing itself for the nutrient of everything it could come in contact with. But for me, the flowering moment happened when we attended a Peace Corps sponsored event in Lusaka learning about Grass Roots Soccer (GRS), an interactive outreach program to teach youths about HIV/AIDS.
Dawn to Dusk
Waves of Inspiration
It oozes from every breath. Why, then, does it fade- inspiration?
I remember the feeling because it is incredibly evocative. Like the joy people feel when receiving a gift of kindness. It is, unfortunately, a seemingly diminishing exchange between two people; the receiver overwhelmed with gratitude, eyes lit up from excitement, laughs full of meaning- maybe mixed with emotions of love; the giver looking onward in anticipation, an idea delivered, a human emanating acceptance.
The Ego of Time
First Contact: Fibalala
Pen Pal- Exchanging Thoughts
As sufferers living in anger, greed, and delusion, the tools to overcome exist. In this life, no matter our background, we can live peacefully. Through examining our self, the source of it all, we can learn to be patient, we can live happily, and as a community understanding this, we will live in harmony.
The Closest Stranger
Dangers in Zambia
Africa is known for exotic animals, big game, and scary creatures. As a blend of work and play, I spent a day at Kalimba Reptile Park to see how fish are harvested, learn about other fish pond things, and have my pants scared off by crocodiles and snakes that call Zambia home. I'm boarding the next flight out of here!
Champions of Development
Foreign Aid, the Self, Reflection
Kakubo village, located in Chongwe district outside Lusaka, Zambia, is a quaint place by U.S. Standards. Nestled close to the Great East Highway, actually bisected by it, the village echoes of trucks carrying un-identifiable covered loads, cars screeching to safe speeds in order to prevent being flung into the air by speed bumps stretching several kilometers- these deter ants more deflated from asphalt heated by the mid-day sun then crushed back into the Earth by the ceaseless traffic which plods over them. Such heat can only be avoided by covering in whatever shade is accessible or a rain shower that feeds the endless maize crops