I was listening to a girl talk about how she is proud to be born of, and live in, an Alaskan tribe that is dedicated to preserving it's cultural traditions. She elaborated on how they live in simplicity because they know it is better to maintain this important part of their identity than rather lose it all to being modern. At the end of the speech she challenged each and every person to do the same with their cultures and traditions and to not let it fade away because of the bright light of progression. The effective quality of turning an informative speech into an introspective one worked; and as you could hear the change of a somber yet earnest tone in her voice you could also hear the deep silence of a hundred people. She ended her speech with "the sage words of a great man".
I nearly cried. These were words I had heard many times before. But never did they have an effect and cause me to internally ache as they did today. I became quite emotional because of these quite simple words.
All this time I've been searching for the perfect words to explain WHY I personally want to, and "should" go on The World Race. I wrote several drafts of letters, composed never-posted blogs, and brainstormed the most fluid and flourished way I could gracefully present my case. I thought I needed the best sounding speech to convince my cause as worthy to others, knowing deep down I was trying to convince myself. But, I always learn the hard way: simpler is better.
These words fully expressed and verified my need to serve 11 countries for 11 months. The someone who cares a whole awful lot, IS ME. I'm passionate about wanting to make the world a better place, have a huge heart that wants to love people, and I know that loving WILL make it better. Unless I GO, and people like me who have the desire, calling, and dedication to devote their lives to change the world, it's NOT going to get better. It's not. So I need and want to be a catalyst for a better world. Because just imagine if the UNLESS were never fulfilled!
