On my recent experience in my service learning program, I've experienced an epiphany which I'll always keep in mind. About the reality of the life of people without a home, and basically have nothing.
On Greg Mortenson's book entitled " Three Cups of Tea," a book about an ordinary American mountaineer, who experienced an epiphany upon failing to climb the summit of K-2, and wound up being lost in the Karakoram Range in northwest Pakistan where he was able to find a small town named Korphe. He saw the impoverished conditions of the people on that village, yet, he was amazed by their resilience and contentment despite their condition. Happiness is present on that village.
On chapter three of Three Cups Tea, Mortenson says that "Everything about their [ people of Korphe ] life was a struggle, they reminded me of a way Christa had to fight for the simplest things. And also the way she had of just persevering, no matter what life threw at her." He was amazed at how the people of Korphe was able to withstand all the hardships life threw at them. Without even having the most basic needs of human beings, their village were able to survive for hundreds of years.This passage has somewhat a parallel idea to the experience I had on my service learning.
My SL site which is the Campus Kitchen Program, where we prepare packed lunches at campus and distribute it to those who are in need around the city. I encountered several people, full of interesting stories. And upon hearing their statements, I was amazed at how resilient and happy they are despite their condition. Both people from Korphe, and homeless people in Everett, have struggled most of their lives. Without having any basic needs at hand. Yet, they never complain, and they never nag.
Upon this experience, I learned that in life, people will always have more. That's inevitable. But I also learned that millions of people in the world do not have I have, and I should be happy with that. It also taught me that life will knock you down for so many times, and if people of Korphe and homeless people all over the world are able to withstand such adversity, so can I.
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