"I could not change the world, but I could change myself. By stepping away, I had come to see the world differently. I had come to see my place in the world with new eyes." ~ Nothing like having new eyes to see this old world with. I went to Jamaica with a church group in 1991. We worked at an elementary school (Hope Elementary) for a few days. It was in an impoverished area across the road from an area where people lived in shacks built of whatever material they could scrounge up, yet the children were amazingly happy and so curious about this group of white Americans who came and spent a week painting their school inside and out. My experience in Jamaica opened my eyes to what life was like for many in Third World nations. Since then, I've worked a couple of times in Progresso, a similar community near Culiacan, Mexico, where people with virtually nothing try to eke out a living. Truly eye-opening experiences. As you said, they put our problems in perspective and make us more appreciative of what we have.
Thanks for sharing, Bob. What part of Jamaica did you visit? Kingston? There are some very poor areas. I have no been there in 50 years. I understand there are a lot more tourist resorts.
"I could not change the world, but I could change myself. By stepping away, I had come to see the world differently. I had come to see my place in the world with new eyes." ~ Nothing like having new eyes to see this old world with. I went to Jamaica with a church group in 1991. We worked at an elementary school (Hope Elementary) for a few days. It was in an impoverished area across the road from an area where people lived in shacks built of whatever material they could scrounge up, yet the children were amazingly happy and so curious about this group of white Americans who came and spent a week painting their school inside and out. My experience in Jamaica opened my eyes to what life was like for many in Third World nations. Since then, I've worked a couple of times in Progresso, a similar community near Culiacan, Mexico, where people with virtually nothing try to eke out a living. Truly eye-opening experiences. As you said, they put our problems in perspective and make us more appreciative of what we have.
Thanks for sharing, Bob. What part of Jamaica did you visit? Kingston? There are some very poor areas. I have no been there in 50 years. I understand there are a lot more tourist resorts.
Thanks, Lina.