Cara James  

Draft 2 Text Only

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I’ve found that growing up isn’t just about seeing how many milestones you can hit. It’s not even about seeing how successful you become over the years. And it’s DEFINITELY not about just celebrating the next birthday. I’ve found that growing up and maturing as an individual involves simply opening your eyes. Stepping into a bit of discomfort. Listening to learn something new that may become of value. It’s about having experiences. And I’m not talking about doing something or going somewhere just to say you did, I’m talking about really participating in these experiences. If we’re lucky enough to recognize the value in our experiences, we learn to see the world in a different light. We learn that there is more to the world than what is right in front of us.

 

                Now, I’m most certainly not a professional philosopher here. This is just what I’ve learned in my short 21 years so far on mother earth. Now that I recognize that there is more to life than what’s in front of me, I’m eager and willing to learn more. If I could pack a world’s worth of knowledge into my brain, I would. I want to share with you, though, how I reached this thirst for worldly knowledge.

 

We were in the village of Tilori, Haiti.

 

We walked along uneven dirt paths as faces scowered at us and children pulled begged for money.

 

Other children smiled as we held our cameras near our eyes.

 

We understood no words that were spoken to us.

 

We were led into a tiny shack at the bottom of the hill.

 

Children piled on top of each other on splintered wooden benches.

 

It was a school for orphans.

 

The children were instructed to sing.

 

Their song was translated for us—“Thank you, Jesus, for the life I live.”

 

                ….

 

                This experience, particularly that moment in the orphan school, has taken me months to process. Almost eight months later, I still can’t quite put a particular word on how that moment made me feel. But what I do know is that this experience made me grow up. It has made me want to keep my eyes open and to turn my head instead of having tunnel vision where I only look forward in my own life.

 

                Part of this experience required us to photograph and document what we saw so that we may share it with the world. I think this assignment had a lot of value. I think that this assignment (if enough people saw it) would help others to open their eyes and turn their heads too. I think that this is important.

                Unless the world is exposed to experiences, there will be no social change. I’m not saying that each person in the whole world must travel somewhere or sit down and have a conversation with someone in order to open their eyes, but someone has to in order for education on worldly matters to become widespread. This is where I would like to go with my life. I want to learn stories, experiences places, try to understand backgrounds, and work to inform others.