Time for 5 minute Friday where I join with other writers to write purely for the joy of the craft. Unscripted. Unedited. Real. Today's word....
I showed my passport and boarded the plane, my stomach twisting in knots. I didn't know what to expect, no clue how to plan. Just go.
Fear knawed at my mind. I knew I was opening myself up to change in a big way. No going back. I would never be the same. You can't immerse yourself in a country without leaving a piece of yourself behind and taking a piece of that place with you.
Haiti infiltrated my blood, much like those pesky mesquitoes in country. There is no forgetting the picture of hungry children, eager teens, or strong adults that know how to survive. There is no erasing the image of poverty and destruction or hope pushing up like a daisy in the middle of weeds.
I took the risk. I left for a place that I knew would NEVER allow me to infiltrate back into my own culture quite the same way. I think about the extra food I leave on my plate at restaurants and the clothes I donate to goodwill because I just get tired of them. I think of the things I take for granted, and my actions change to match my heart.
Risk always comes with a consequence, but that consequence can often be a blessing in disguise. I left a piece of my heart in Haiti and my life at home is better because of it. Now what I do with that change is a risk all in itself...deep breath....
Let's do this!
Linking up with the Gypsy Mama.
Risk
Fear knawed at my mind. I knew I was opening myself up to change in a big way. No going back. I would never be the same. You can't immerse yourself in a country without leaving a piece of yourself behind and taking a piece of that place with you.
Haiti infiltrated my blood, much like those pesky mesquitoes in country. There is no forgetting the picture of hungry children, eager teens, or strong adults that know how to survive. There is no erasing the image of poverty and destruction or hope pushing up like a daisy in the middle of weeds.
I took the risk. I left for a place that I knew would NEVER allow me to infiltrate back into my own culture quite the same way. I think about the extra food I leave on my plate at restaurants and the clothes I donate to goodwill because I just get tired of them. I think of the things I take for granted, and my actions change to match my heart.
Risk always comes with a consequence, but that consequence can often be a blessing in disguise. I left a piece of my heart in Haiti and my life at home is better because of it. Now what I do with that change is a risk all in itself...deep breath....
Let's do this!
Linking up with the Gypsy Mama.
