Note: This post was written by Maia Wise, one of the team leaders of the 2013 AB trip to Jamaica.
My visit to Jamaica allowed me to reflect on the luxuries I take for granted. Things as simple as turning on the light when you walk in the room, charging your phone at night or showering indoors with hot water. But it also taught me that there are many people who can survive on very little and are still so much happier than us in America. Teaching at Hope Basic has allowed me to really step back and take a look at myself. Every night I wonder what can I do for someone else that will allow me to leave an ever lasting impression on their life.
February 18th, 2013 at 3:34 am
~ My visit to Jamaica allowed me to reflect on the luxuries I take for granted. Things as simple as turning on the light when you walk in the room, charging your phone at night or showering indoors with hot water ~
‘We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are!’
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate
US Suicide Rate: 12/100,000 people will commit suicide
Jaimaica Suicide Rate: 0.1/100/000 people will commit suicide
Hailing from a 3rd world country myself I experienced absence of luxuries like showers – we used buckets of water taken from a faucet – or air conditioning – we had hand fans and electrical ones.
Though we didn’t have anything, we were much happier and more connected with each other. There’s a disparity of viewpoints in the US compared to outside – the more things you have of more value – essentially the better you are.
We didn’t see that we lacked anything, to us, a bucket of water was all we needed for a shower. We didn’t even have toilet paper or televisions! Who needed those things anyway?
‘We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are!’
So many depressed in the most luxuries country in the world – yet almost none in a country with next to nothing.
‘We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are!’