The Ignorant Rich and Dream Transformation
Hey Everyone,
What a weekend! Once again I skipped town and headed out to a brand new smaller, rural town called Eldoret (about 30 km above the equator). The bus trip was about 6 hours both ways so there was plenty of time to really reflect on my experiences here, and plenty of time to really analyze the people I met along the way.
The weekend was awesome. Not only because I was out sunbathing beside a pool at a 4 star hotel with 3 lovely ladies. Not only because I saw wild zebras along the side of the road. Not only because I got the chance to live in a small town with a great host family and REALLY see what Kenya is like... the REAL reason it was so awesome is because I got to see a version of myself that I absolutely hated in someone else.
You may find this really odd, but I would remind you that the whole reason I took on the various ventures I have been on this y Everyone,
What a weekend! Once again I skipped town and headed out to a brand new smaller, rural town called Eldoret (about 30 km above the equator). The bus trip was about 6 hours both ways so there was plenty of time to really reflect on my experiences here, and plenty of time to really analyze the people I met along the way.
The weekend was awesome. Not only because I was out sunbathing beside a pool at a 4 star hotel with 3 lovely ladies. Not only because I saw wild zebras along the side of the road. Not only because I got the chance to live in a small town with a great host family and REALLY see what Kenya is like... the REAL reason it was so awesome is because I got to see a version of myself that I absolutely hated in someone else.
You may find this really odd, but I would remind you that the whole reason I took on the various ventures I have been on this year was on a journey of true self discovery and a change in perspective.
Lets put the trip into context. The roads here are in poor condition. Not Saskatchewan poor. I will never complain about the roads in Saskatchewan again... let's just put it like that. I took the EZ coach (which most of the rich folks take here in Kenya) as I was attempting at having a bigger bus to avoid some of the bumpiness on the road.
I was sitting about 2 seats in front of an Indian man who seemed to be very educated and wealthy. It was obvioulsly his very first time, as he began to complain about the smell and the cramped conditions (which were nothing compared to the Matatu I had taken on the way to Eldoret). Some of the other rich African's were laughing a bit and I was initially thinking that it may be fun to listen to him the whole way back to Nairobi.
About 30 minutes into the trip the road gets really rough. I was trying to read a book so I wasn't really paying attention to the Indian man.. who had been gathering quite a following with his "witty comments" about the goods people were trying to sell at the side of the road. People were now hanging off every word he was saying. He began to talk about the roads and infrastructure. All about how "if he was president" and "in his country..." the usual jargon you here coming from the mouths of the inexperienced and the pompous. Everytime we hit a bump he would shout out "Whoa, why not just AIM for the holes" and everyone would laugh histerically.
As this continued for about 10 minutes, with each comment he made recieving more and more laughter I found myself getting more and more frustrated with him. Who was HE to talk like that about people of whom he obviously had no previous contact with. A corrupt government, small budget and huge infrastructure burdens... how could a country cope? What was HE doing to make it better? He was only pointing out the flaws! Couldn't he look out the window? See the trees and the zebras and the wonder that lay not 10 feet outside his little world? Of course not. His purpose was to have a good time. His purpose was to make people laugh.. to engage them in conversation that would leave them in stitches.. only he was doing it at the expense of a people who had no control. At people who live in small huts, whose livelihood comes from the very products he was making fun of. It made me sick.
More than once I had to stop myself. Stop myself from standing up and tearing India apart. Tearing his little world up using a vocabulary that would make him seem inferior... to grind him into his little plush seat. But where would that put me? I would be no worse than him even though my intentions may be pure... I would still be the monster that was sitting 2 seats behind me. Instead, for the first time that I can rememeber.. I let it go. I put my headphones on and forgot about the tired old man and his ignorance to the efforts of a great people... a people that he did not have the tolerence to learn year was on a journey of true self discovery and a change in perspective.
It was then that I really realized that humor like that has a very adverse affect to those who appreciate their surroundings for what they are. I am here, in Kenya, experiencing an entirely new way of life, and someone is making fun of it and cutting it down for laughs with a few people he barely knows. Humor like that is something that I myself practiced on a daily basis. But now I have finally seen the reaction it causes in people who may be appreciating the moment for what it is. Which makes me embarrassed for my actions in the past.
I also see now that moving up to the "luxury class" in any setting has its own setbacks. Mainly, the people. In any setting where you can opt for the upper class section it inevitably robs you of the true experience of the moment. It provides you with a sense of security and comfort, sure, but what it doesn't provide for you is perspective. You can't see how it is really like to live without comfort, to see what it is like from all perspectives, from all walks of life. It also puts you in a position you may be very uncomfortable with. You may be forced to hear people talk about how superior they are to those seated in a lesser class, or have them complain that the luxury they paid for isn't nearly what they expected. You have to hear people talk down to people who obviously have a lot to teach them about humility and manners.
I hope that I can always remember this moment if I ever make it big in some organization. That sometimes taking the "high-life" has its own set of drawbacks, some of which you could not possibly see unless you had seen it from a different perspective. Never forget those people in the field, for they have the capacity to teach you more about yourself than hours of looking the mirror looking for the truth.
Have you ever sat and thought long and hard about your dreams? Where do they come from? What do they mean? Why are you having them? I have always thought of dreams as glimpses into the future that might have been. Always with the self doubt of “if only I could have” or “It would have been better if this and this would have occurred”. Recently I have been thinking a lot about the people who I see working in the fields here in Kenya. Those to who work to LIVE everyday, not just those out to make a living. What sort of things do they dream about when they get back to their homes to sleep? Do they dream of becoming a CEO of a major corporation or a house with a little picket fence and a French Poodle? Doubtful.
Think about the context of your dreams. Think about the setting that each of your dreams take place in. Usually it’s some place of great significance. I have found that usually my dreams revolve around places of great learning. Whether it be at home, grandma’s house or one of the many schools that I have attended… my dreams take place in settings of interaction with others and places of learning.
In staring out a window into a land of much beauty and intrigue it is not hard to imagine that the context of my dreams may be changed. That is, in thinking about one of the places that has effected me so much consciously, it is hard to not believe that when I dream 2 years down the road that I may be taken 10,000 miles away into a land that taught me so much. It is for that I believe that places like Kenya are places in which people of the western world may experience a sort of “dream transformation”. By putting themselves in a land of challenges and very real danger, your subconscious seeks to bring you back to the place to see how much more information you can suck out of an environment, even long after you have left. The beauty that surrounds you will change the way you picture the “perfect sunset” or a “beautiful rainbow” because your conscious mind suddenly has so many more images to choose from to describe the term beautiful. Unconsciously, your mind assembles what it deems to be the perfect setting for some of your best dreams, which inevitably, has been effected by the wonderful places you have seen.
This brings me back to those workers in the field. They may not dream of big fancy cars or quick promotions, but what they do dream about is very similar to the western world in principle and context. Everyone dreams for a better life for their family, safety and prosperity. Even though we all may see it in different ways, our dreams are simply projections of our base emotions: Anger, fear, love and happiness. Because they have lived their life in Kenya and may never get to see the giant sky scrapers of New York… I feel that they actually have an advantage. They can dream in a world as it was meant to be. A world of natural beauty, unmarred by the progress of the human species. They see things subconsciously that most people sitting back home may never get the chance to experience consciously, regardless of the number of books read or pictures viewed. It is certainly something that I envy them for.
The experience here is enough to change the way you see the world; awake or otherwise. The best part about dreams is that it is one playing field that no amount of money can change; no life of experience can alter. The one place where every person is equal: In our minds. To each his own.
In closing, I want to make a special comment towards those reading this who are thinking about coming to Africa for whatever reason you may have: Your power to impact and change is enormous. Never forget that. As one of the ladies I was with this past weekend said “by just making one little spreadsheet you can change so much, impact so quickly…”. It is absolutely the truth. More than just creating a fancy document or supporting people through the money you donate. You have a real opportunity to change lives with the simplest of comment or word of encouragement. The children of this country look up to you with awe and wonderment, not just because of the color of your skin, but because you offer them hope of a different world. If you come here expect to be challenged in ways that I can not even describe in words. But also expect to come here to make a difference. Because whether you like it or not… the way you look at someone, the way you smile or the words you say will have a lasting impact that WILL be felt long after you return home to your Prada purse. Think about it… maybe even dream about it.
Anyways, sorry for not updating this week. It has been a trying one in terms of the internet and work schedules and the like. But I pretty promise to have a kick-ass update after this weekend… because this weekend I am off on my very first safari! Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!
Also, you will note the pictures, which hopefully will be coming a bit more regularly. Sorry for that as well, still not totally comfortable busting pictures out in downtown Nairobi… hope to get you all some of those soon!
Many thanks to all of you who have continued to read, I understand that I am getting quite an audience back home which is very encouraging! I will make sure to dedicate my book to all of you who have followed my journey thus far and will continue to do so in the future.
Devan
What a weekend! Once again I skipped town and headed out to a brand new smaller, rural town called Eldoret (about 30 km above the equator). The bus trip was about 6 hours both ways so there was plenty of time to really reflect on my experiences here, and plenty of time to really analyze the people I met along the way.
The weekend was awesome. Not only because I was out sunbathing beside a pool at a 4 star hotel with 3 lovely ladies. Not only because I saw wild zebras along the side of the road. Not only because I got the chance to live in a small town with a great host family and REALLY see what Kenya is like... the REAL reason it was so awesome is because I got to see a version of myself that I absolutely hated in someone else.
You may find this really odd, but I would remind you that the whole reason I took on the various ventures I have been on this y Everyone,
What a weekend! Once again I skipped town and headed out to a brand new smaller, rural town called Eldoret (about 30 km above the equator). The bus trip was about 6 hours both ways so there was plenty of time to really reflect on my experiences here, and plenty of time to really analyze the people I met along the way.
The weekend was awesome. Not only because I was out sunbathing beside a pool at a 4 star hotel with 3 lovely ladies. Not only because I saw wild zebras along the side of the road. Not only because I got the chance to live in a small town with a great host family and REALLY see what Kenya is like... the REAL reason it was so awesome is because I got to see a version of myself that I absolutely hated in someone else.
You may find this really odd, but I would remind you that the whole reason I took on the various ventures I have been on this year was on a journey of true self discovery and a change in perspective.
Lets put the trip into context. The roads here are in poor condition. Not Saskatchewan poor. I will never complain about the roads in Saskatchewan again... let's just put it like that. I took the EZ coach (which most of the rich folks take here in Kenya) as I was attempting at having a bigger bus to avoid some of the bumpiness on the road.
I was sitting about 2 seats in front of an Indian man who seemed to be very educated and wealthy. It was obvioulsly his very first time, as he began to complain about the smell and the cramped conditions (which were nothing compared to the Matatu I had taken on the way to Eldoret). Some of the other rich African's were laughing a bit and I was initially thinking that it may be fun to listen to him the whole way back to Nairobi.
About 30 minutes into the trip the road gets really rough. I was trying to read a book so I wasn't really paying attention to the Indian man.. who had been gathering quite a following with his "witty comments" about the goods people were trying to sell at the side of the road. People were now hanging off every word he was saying. He began to talk about the roads and infrastructure. All about how "if he was president" and "in his country..." the usual jargon you here coming from the mouths of the inexperienced and the pompous. Everytime we hit a bump he would shout out "Whoa, why not just AIM for the holes" and everyone would laugh histerically.
As this continued for about 10 minutes, with each comment he made recieving more and more laughter I found myself getting more and more frustrated with him. Who was HE to talk like that about people of whom he obviously had no previous contact with. A corrupt government, small budget and huge infrastructure burdens... how could a country cope? What was HE doing to make it better? He was only pointing out the flaws! Couldn't he look out the window? See the trees and the zebras and the wonder that lay not 10 feet outside his little world? Of course not. His purpose was to have a good time. His purpose was to make people laugh.. to engage them in conversation that would leave them in stitches.. only he was doing it at the expense of a people who had no control. At people who live in small huts, whose livelihood comes from the very products he was making fun of. It made me sick.
More than once I had to stop myself. Stop myself from standing up and tearing India apart. Tearing his little world up using a vocabulary that would make him seem inferior... to grind him into his little plush seat. But where would that put me? I would be no worse than him even though my intentions may be pure... I would still be the monster that was sitting 2 seats behind me. Instead, for the first time that I can rememeber.. I let it go. I put my headphones on and forgot about the tired old man and his ignorance to the efforts of a great people... a people that he did not have the tolerence to learn year was on a journey of true self discovery and a change in perspective.
It was then that I really realized that humor like that has a very adverse affect to those who appreciate their surroundings for what they are. I am here, in Kenya, experiencing an entirely new way of life, and someone is making fun of it and cutting it down for laughs with a few people he barely knows. Humor like that is something that I myself practiced on a daily basis. But now I have finally seen the reaction it causes in people who may be appreciating the moment for what it is. Which makes me embarrassed for my actions in the past.
I also see now that moving up to the "luxury class" in any setting has its own setbacks. Mainly, the people. In any setting where you can opt for the upper class section it inevitably robs you of the true experience of the moment. It provides you with a sense of security and comfort, sure, but what it doesn't provide for you is perspective. You can't see how it is really like to live without comfort, to see what it is like from all perspectives, from all walks of life. It also puts you in a position you may be very uncomfortable with. You may be forced to hear people talk about how superior they are to those seated in a lesser class, or have them complain that the luxury they paid for isn't nearly what they expected. You have to hear people talk down to people who obviously have a lot to teach them about humility and manners.
I hope that I can always remember this moment if I ever make it big in some organization. That sometimes taking the "high-life" has its own set of drawbacks, some of which you could not possibly see unless you had seen it from a different perspective. Never forget those people in the field, for they have the capacity to teach you more about yourself than hours of looking the mirror looking for the truth.
Have you ever sat and thought long and hard about your dreams? Where do they come from? What do they mean? Why are you having them? I have always thought of dreams as glimpses into the future that might have been. Always with the self doubt of “if only I could have” or “It would have been better if this and this would have occurred”. Recently I have been thinking a lot about the people who I see working in the fields here in Kenya. Those to who work to LIVE everyday, not just those out to make a living. What sort of things do they dream about when they get back to their homes to sleep? Do they dream of becoming a CEO of a major corporation or a house with a little picket fence and a French Poodle? Doubtful.
Think about the context of your dreams. Think about the setting that each of your dreams take place in. Usually it’s some place of great significance. I have found that usually my dreams revolve around places of great learning. Whether it be at home, grandma’s house or one of the many schools that I have attended… my dreams take place in settings of interaction with others and places of learning.
In staring out a window into a land of much beauty and intrigue it is not hard to imagine that the context of my dreams may be changed. That is, in thinking about one of the places that has effected me so much consciously, it is hard to not believe that when I dream 2 years down the road that I may be taken 10,000 miles away into a land that taught me so much. It is for that I believe that places like Kenya are places in which people of the western world may experience a sort of “dream transformation”. By putting themselves in a land of challenges and very real danger, your subconscious seeks to bring you back to the place to see how much more information you can suck out of an environment, even long after you have left. The beauty that surrounds you will change the way you picture the “perfect sunset” or a “beautiful rainbow” because your conscious mind suddenly has so many more images to choose from to describe the term beautiful. Unconsciously, your mind assembles what it deems to be the perfect setting for some of your best dreams, which inevitably, has been effected by the wonderful places you have seen.
This brings me back to those workers in the field. They may not dream of big fancy cars or quick promotions, but what they do dream about is very similar to the western world in principle and context. Everyone dreams for a better life for their family, safety and prosperity. Even though we all may see it in different ways, our dreams are simply projections of our base emotions: Anger, fear, love and happiness. Because they have lived their life in Kenya and may never get to see the giant sky scrapers of New York… I feel that they actually have an advantage. They can dream in a world as it was meant to be. A world of natural beauty, unmarred by the progress of the human species. They see things subconsciously that most people sitting back home may never get the chance to experience consciously, regardless of the number of books read or pictures viewed. It is certainly something that I envy them for.
The experience here is enough to change the way you see the world; awake or otherwise. The best part about dreams is that it is one playing field that no amount of money can change; no life of experience can alter. The one place where every person is equal: In our minds. To each his own.
In closing, I want to make a special comment towards those reading this who are thinking about coming to Africa for whatever reason you may have: Your power to impact and change is enormous. Never forget that. As one of the ladies I was with this past weekend said “by just making one little spreadsheet you can change so much, impact so quickly…”. It is absolutely the truth. More than just creating a fancy document or supporting people through the money you donate. You have a real opportunity to change lives with the simplest of comment or word of encouragement. The children of this country look up to you with awe and wonderment, not just because of the color of your skin, but because you offer them hope of a different world. If you come here expect to be challenged in ways that I can not even describe in words. But also expect to come here to make a difference. Because whether you like it or not… the way you look at someone, the way you smile or the words you say will have a lasting impact that WILL be felt long after you return home to your Prada purse. Think about it… maybe even dream about it.
Anyways, sorry for not updating this week. It has been a trying one in terms of the internet and work schedules and the like. But I pretty promise to have a kick-ass update after this weekend… because this weekend I am off on my very first safari! Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!
Also, you will note the pictures, which hopefully will be coming a bit more regularly. Sorry for that as well, still not totally comfortable busting pictures out in downtown Nairobi… hope to get you all some of those soon!
Many thanks to all of you who have continued to read, I understand that I am getting quite an audience back home which is very encouraging! I will make sure to dedicate my book to all of you who have followed my journey thus far and will continue to do so in the future.
Devan
2 Comments:
At 1:22 AM, krista said…
I love it. *high fives*
At 12:55 PM, Chris Dewald said…
wow... that is some really deep shit.... but makes a whole lot of sense... keep updating me buddy.. hope your havin fun
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