As Nelson Mandela states, “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” I am at the point in my life where I am beginning to realize that there is more to my existence than merely obtaining an education, getting married, having a family, and resting in a wealthy retirement before I pass on at an old age. Of course, these are things I will be happy to achieve as well, but even more I want to live a life so full of passion that everyone person I come in contact with will be inspired to live a life full of purpose; a life outside of the comfort zone we are constrained in.
There are certain things in life that cannot be learned from the books in a library. These things remain among the minds of elders, youth and community members, and often among those who the world has left invisible. And it is in search of such individuals that I go looking for. These are the souls that I have found to have the ability to inspire me in a way not much else can. It is their stories and their spirits I wish to capture.
I have begun to realize that it is in our moments of deep vulnerability that we reach into ourselves the most to find the courage to connect with life outside of what we know. The hardest days of my life have been the ones that have brought me to the best places. If I do not make friends out of the strangers I meet, these lands will also remain to me as strange. When strangers become our friends, we are humbled in a new way. The people we were once told to avoid have the capability of becoming some of the most important figures in our lives.
In my attempts to build community in a multiethnic society, I have found that my identity of being white holds more weight than I often recognize. The privilege that I carry is often interpreted in different ways by different people. Securing my role in a diverse community takes effort, and what I put forth will only be the beginning of this process. What I hope to discover along the way is effective methods to communicate with all people across bridges of disconnection.
The above words may be a bold beginning, but I remain with the confidence that I can accomplish what I set out to do. I am not afraid to wander, nor am I afraid of the uncertainty that wandering provides.
United States and Mexico. Here we were, a group of about 15 students from Tacoma, Washington, our individual stories each marked with identities and experiences of privilege, comfort and security. Across the fence were a couple of boys playing, peering over to us with curious eyes. Not much was different about the land on either sides of the fence, but the circumstances of each are completely different. At some point in time, those in power of the society of these people decided to separate these lands, and the side that your ancestors ended up on when the line was drawn has determined the stories of generations into the future.