My entire life, I’ve heard amazing stories of inspiration, of people growing up in the projects to escape the stereotype because they had a dream. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, and he made it come true by using his words as a new form of action that was not new but still rarely seen in his day in time. Coming to Hawaii I have been exposed to almost every ethnical background as I could have ever imagined and at times, being a white male, I feel insignificant. My cultural sense lacks for sure, I don’t really have any cool traditions or food to add to the salad and I feel as if people look at me as a bland person who wouldn’t understand the first thing about cultural pride. One of these said things is the abundance of money and lack of ability to dream. I hate it, I’ve had a guy tell me that it’s rare for Hawaiians like himself to live in the location where he’s from, but my parents could easily come out and buy a house. I told him his statement was very doubtful and shallow and he was surprised to find out I come from zero money at all.
It’s true, I did grow up in Middle America, from a very beautiful family and though my parents both worked for everything they have today, they suppressed the same ethic onto myself. I grew up on construction sites, I had my first small plastic wheelbarrow at the age of 4 and I was being left on job sites with my uncle and my father’s employees starting as early as 5. My mother is a teacher that being said it’s logical that I grew up in a very educational setting at home. I love what my parents do but I will never do either and instead have decided to apply both into what has become a life long dream of mine.
A part of my heart, the part that cannot be touched by external human emotion was taken from me before I was born. God placed that piece in a place that is far from normal, far from my family and far from the safety of America. That place, the last strong hold for natural, raw, beauty is also one of the most dangerous places for a white person to go, let alone any outsider.
Africa is a continent that is rarely desired, and even more rarely carried through with the plans. It’s unforgiving, powerful, dangerous, and yet the most beautiful place that mankind has not tarnished in my eyes. It’s not a secret that I’m studying to become a doctor, many people know this, but they never have taken the time to ask ‘why’. Most will ask the common question, “What kind of Dr. do you want to be.” But that’s pretty much the extent of the conversation.
Every year thousands of tribes and villagers in Africa go without clean water, they walk sometimes more than one mile to get dirty water. On top of this, many live in open shacks where they can be bitten by tons of bugs. There are organizations that strive to fix both of these, they raise money and send volunteers over to rural areas to dig fresh water wells and supply bed nets and by doing so they improve the health and life expectancy dramatically. The above 2 problems are only the start of a truly bleak standard of life in reflection to what people in America grow up in. I hear all the time that we shouldn’t be thinking about them when we have our own poverty in America, but I see it a little differently. American’s are protected by rights, they don’t have to worry about a rebel infantry coming and slaughtering all the men and raping the women as they steal the young boys only to give them cocaine mixed with gunpowder so they can brainwash them into being another child soldier for their “war”. American’s if need, can walk less than a mile to a public drinking fountain to obtain fresh tap water that has been filtered and passed high standards of health bars.
When I was about 16 years old I decided I wanted to become a doctor, wasn’t ever sure, just that I wanted to be one. At first it was slightly about the money, not for myself but I vowed that I would give my future children the same opportunities that my parents gave me, and hopefully more. I want them to grow up without having to pay for their college, but still drive a good work ethic and most importantly I wanted to become a doctor that allowed me to be with my family, where I could actively participate and take them on these endeavors around the world. As time passed, my heart started to yearn for something greater. Every time I hear an African tribal song or see something in a movie, or article or internet I get this undeniable sensation crawl up my spine trying, yearning me to go, driving my intentions always towards that one special place.
My entire life I’ve enjoyed helping others in a positive way, in high school I would help friends if they didn’t understand a subject, in college so far I’ve lead countless study groups, helped friends pass organic chemistry and landed a job where I’ll be a paid advisor for fellow students. The feeling one gets after selflessly helping another is amazing, it’s a high that I can’t get from anything else and so I constantly alter my life so I can do it as often as possible. The non-academic part of my life has been filled with manual labor, and when I wasn’t working on job sites I was working out for sports. Both these strengths I believe have made my dream the most realistic it could ever be. I want to go to Africa and practice medicine. With the average age at around 17-18 I think there is no better candidate for help. God programmed us all differently. (Romans 12: 6-8) God declares not only has he given us all an ability to do it well but that we shall go forth and use it as best as we were meant to do. I was born into a special place where I developed hard work ethic of manual labor from my father mixed with the fortunate intellect of a most brilliant mother, both of which have hearts of gold. It doesn’t make much sense that I was placed here for any other purpose.
I’m going to go somewhere near the Serengeti, central Africa, where there is a vast need for help and away from the corrupted cities. I don’t want to globalize the village that allows me to stay because that is not why I’ll be there. I want to escape the corruption to the last raw beauty that hasn’t been tainted. I’d like to spend 2 years there, 1 at the least because I don’t think anything less will be long enough to build the trust I need to positively impact the people for a long period of time. I have so much to learn and I don’t see any better teacher of life than from the minds of a pure person who has lived through hardship and still smiles each morning. There is a song I wish everyone could hear, and I’m so grateful it has unofficially been announced as the 2010 World Cup anthem “Wavin’ Flag Celebration Mix – K’Naan” I listen to this song every single day. When I dream I hear this song, when I close my eyes my head dances to the rhythm and before I know it I cannot stop smiling. It brings absolute joy to my soul and I know it’s because the small part of my heart that is far away from me is briefly back, I’m whole again for that 3 minutes and 40 seconds. Nothing can bring me down and all I can do is smile because I know what He has in store for me. Every weekend that I study, every time I chose to go library instead of sleep in is because of this. It is my dream and I know that I’m in Hawaii to meet amazing people but just as importantly I’m here to study to become a doctor so that I can fulfill my dream. Without an organization, electricity, running water, or outside contact, just me, a new family and the awesome secrets of Africa awaiting to pounce down upon me. There is so much more I could tie into this, but I feel as if it is long enough so I will say goodbye. Because it is 4 in the morning and I’m going to go listen to my song, go to sleep and dream about a place that is far, far away from here…
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