Pride
Pride can sometimes be a boastful thing. That is not what I mean here. Pride is being proud of who you are and who you can become. These pictures are examples of this beauty.
The principal lives by example of taking pride in your community and yourself. He is an incredible man. He is the man pictures holding the two "outsiders" or orphans hands. He makes sure that if their food is spilled or they haven't eaten the older children get them something. It is beautiful to watch. I wish that our schools were able to have the feeling of love and caring that these children feel and the pride for their school that I have seen here. It is very touching.
Now don't get me wrong. They are still children pushing in line and getting upset if someone hurts their feelings. But, the overall atmosphere is incredible.
Several of the children were cleaning their new shoes to get the mud off. I saw some children neatly folding their shirts that they were given on the first day. One mother told us that she wasn't going to wash it because last year it was stolen off of her line. Helen took some pictures of the MCC shirts hung up right off of the courtyard where the mother could keep an eye on them.
The ballet shoes made the girls beam with joy. It was beautiful to see!
Some of the group went around yesterday throughout the community. One comments that was made was the smells were overwhelming. The sewer ditch gets to be 8 feet deep. On Saturday the children have to clean it out and haul it away in buckets. But, there was fresh wash on the line near by and the wash was so clean smelling that it overtook the other smells. They work very hard.
Some of the girls were slipping paper in the bottom of their shoes so they would not get them dirty.
posted by Toni and David Sheets @ 9:57 PM
1 Comments
1 Comments:
As you know, I've always been irritated by "priviledged" people because they seem to feel entitled and judge anyone from a lower socioeconomic level (when usually they only have their "place" in society because of their parents or ancestors hard work or maybe luck.
Yet, when I read about these children, I am confronted with my own priviledged status. I live in America, have a bounty of food (even though I grow most of it.....it is a priviledge to have a place to do that), clothes, shelter....plus my own personal transportation and even the gas to make it go...even when it costs $4 a gallon. And also realize (on July 4) that I'm only priviledged because of the thoughts and actions and sacrifice of the Americans who fought to create this country and those who have guided and defended it.
All that said, these children seem to have something we are missing because of our priviledged status...the kind of pride you speak of. I think we're all caught up in the contradictory "rules" of being an American....we must have that pride and must strive to have things and to reach our personal potential, but we must always downplay it.... and if we cannot honor our accomplishments, that makes them meaningless and we always have to be reaching for the next higher/better something and therefore are left empty...
Sorry, got going....but I do feel something from these photos and your words about children who live in a ghetto in Africa that we're missing!
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