Tough Stuff

"One day your life will flash before you eyes. Make sure it is worth watching."

A co-worker was telling us about the news last night, and she told us a 12-year old girl was shot in Jo'Burg and eventually died on the way to the hospital. The crime rate here is so high. So is the death rate. After she told us, she then went on with all the losses she experienced in her life. Her mother had 14 children, and 2 miscarriages. Now, there are only 9 children left. That is just her immediate family; she has lost many more in her extended family. An abnormally large amount of losses.

It's the harsh reality that gets to me and reminds me that life is way too short. Living at my age, there is a mentality of immortality - a feeling of being able to live forever. But it's so not true. I take it day by day, but the long-run and the future is sometimes lost in the back of my mind. I think I need to make a better effort at appreciating everything I am blessed with; the people that love and support me, the little things that make me smile, my basic needs, good health, and especially time.

The experience I have here is already life-changing. And it's only been a week. Everyday, a new door of opportunity opens to learn more about South African culture, their problems and issues that need to be reformed, and the chance to dive deep into this lifestyle.

My carpool buddy, Keith, and I always mention how tough the people have it here. They don't face the daily "struggles" that we deal with: studies, plans for the weekend, and time management. They deal with intense struggles: unemployment, crime, money shortage, and even death.

I don't mean for this to be such a morbid entry. But it's something that is always on my mind now from the stories I hear from co-workers and my fellow intern friends who who work at hospitals. It's just so apparent here and in your face, that you cannot help but think about it...

Well, to end on a happier note...here are some nice quotes about LIFE:

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams." -Ashley Smith

"Only a life lived for others is a life worth while." -Albert Einstein

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." -Anne Frank

"Carpe Diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think." -Horace