tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48479918554484144172024-03-05T21:40:01.073-07:00have you ever thought about...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.comBlogger277125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-69042063910576337722015-01-29T13:51:00.001-07:002015-01-29T13:51:36.317-07:00Person of the Day: Eunji<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
well, i'm here in Fiji, which means I have so many more things to talk about and project into the world besides my random life advice/lesson and love advice. lucky for you all, because i'm sure that gets old fast...<div>
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i've decided that everywhere i go, my favorite thing about going there usually ends up being the people i meet! the people in the market, the people i work with, live with, and even those who cross my path for only an hour or two via a random happenstance. i've already let too many of those people pass by without sharing their wisdom or hilarity, so i'm going to start posting the 'person of the day.' it's not going to be every day, but just when i feel like it. </div>
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so, for the first one, i have a real gem. she is about the wisest 10 year old you've ever met and is full of wisdom on north korea and africa, her relationship with God, her worries about not crying and homesickness, and most importantly--love. (see, you still get love advice, but this time it's not from me!)</div>
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this is Eunji from Seoul, South Korea. she tried to fit into the refrigerator yesterday because a) it was really hot and b) there was a sudden flood of flying larvae that came out of nowhere and she was genuinely terrified. she loves kimchi, soda, and Beyonce, and she might be my favorite person on the planet right now. last night, Hilary (my <a href="http://help-international.org/">co-director</a>) and I were talking to her about boys, and here's the invaluable knowledge i acquired. you're welcome.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKUFXhkK2Yg/VMqbysCzbuI/AAAAAAAAFdU/bX1UYKdmW-g/s1600/4-up%2Bon%2B1-27-15%2Bat%2B8.58%2BPM%2B%237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKUFXhkK2Yg/VMqbysCzbuI/AAAAAAAAFdU/bX1UYKdmW-g/s1600/4-up%2Bon%2B1-27-15%2Bat%2B8.58%2BPM%2B%237.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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how to tell if a boy likes you <span style="font-size: x-small;">(verbatim)</span>:</div>
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1. they kiss you here (the lips) and not here (the cheeks).</div>
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2. if he hugs you and spends time with you, he 100% likes you.</div>
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3. but if he takes you on dates, and he kisses you (or he lets you kiss him!), he <strike>one million</strike> no, <i>ALL</i> the percents likes you. </div>
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...but don't have a boyfriend because then you have to make them good food, and look too pretty all the time with all the make ups and hairs and high heels, and that's not fun.</div>
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more nuggets of advice:</div>
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<li>if a boy is good and he goes to church and he likes you (see above), then you should just marry him. but if you don't know if you should marry him, wait 5 years and you will know.</li>
<li>it doesn't matter if you're 45 and he is 50, or if you are 50 and he is 30, or if you are 60 and he is 20, love is love!</li>
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other advice on global politics and homesickness:</div>
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<li>why does everyone want to fight? i'm so sad because the mean Korea (north Korea) wants to fight and take all the good people who are poor and trick them with promises. they want to get big and get plenty money and not help people who need help. i don't want to do that to poor people. i don't want to fight anybody.</li>
<li>why do people take all the nice people in Africa and tell them what to do? they just want to live!</li>
<li>why doesn't Heavenly Father talk back to me? i just want to sit by him and play with him and eat with him and ask him all the questions!</li>
<li>when i leave Korea, i wanted to cry so bad, but my mom told me not to cry because my papa's heart is too thin. so now i just work hard at my english to make my oma and papa proud.</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com2Namadi Heights, 350 Princes Road, Suva, Fiji-18.1049225 178.440926-43.626957000000004 137.132332 7.4171119999999995 -140.25048000000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-35901916563776564472014-09-10T18:45:00.000-07:002014-09-10T19:20:30.753-07:00soul blossoms and such.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">hey guys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;">so this is me, right now--sitting in a coffee shop loving life. sure it's not easy right now--i have zero direction as far as where i'm going (no job ideas/offers, i could move to any city, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">work for just about anyone, and i'm certainly not dating anyone which always brings with a sense of anxiety for some ridiculous reason), and sometimes that's really overwhelming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">but today, instead of being overwhelmed, my soul is shining right out of my eyeballs </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(see picture)</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span>why?? because marcel proust said: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” that's why.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">so let me count the ways in which i have soul blossoms--soul peonies, gerbera daisies, daffodils, and soul sunflowers....</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>1. amazing parents who support me</b>, cry with me, send me snail mail cards with surprises, emails with endless love notes, encouragement, they pray for me and fast for me, and they make me feel like i can do anything i want.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. old friends. </b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a friend who brought me my favorite cupcake when she picked me up from the airport.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> talking with old friends on swings about life and things that are hard and put your mind in SPANX that you want to break out of...and things that are enlightening and invigorating. you know who you are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>3. new friends.</b> new friends who have been to India and want to eat Indian food, and new friends who are interested in the same things and energize me to continue to pursue my dreams because she is pursuing her dreams!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>4. and the guy at the coffee shop</b> that sings so loudly and off-key to CCR and pink floyd. and does adorable dance moves while he's sweeping to some indie band i've never heard of. and brought me over a free drink because i've been here for hours and i told him i couldn't afford anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">turns out, that my gratitude has been enlightening, soul-filling, and more than anything has brought me hope. melody beattie, you nailed it, whoever you are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"g<span style="line-height: 20px;">ratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-25511564401516874602014-03-20T13:36:00.000-07:002014-03-20T18:02:36.380-07:00BECAUSE WE'RE HAPPYYYYY: on making tough decisions.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
this post comes from two spaces in my brain, venn diagraming like crazy.<br />
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<b>space #1: </b><br />
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today is the <a href="http://24hoursofhappiness.com/">UN's national day of happiness</a>!! click on that link, and go through each of the homemade "happy" videos. i laughed/smiled for an entire hour straight. plus, minions and pharrell are taking over my news feed and i'm not mad at that.<br />
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<b>space #2:</b><br />
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i've come across another transitional period in my life where big decisions are being made. i'm talking rest-of-my-life decisions. those huge almost-paralyzing ones where you fear one step in the wrong direction will catapult you into the depths of unhappiness for the next 65 years. okay, not that bad, but we've all been there. and no, i'm not getting married.<br />
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so, as i've been searching desperately for answers in just about any place i can find, i was reminded kindly and gently about the love and power of our creator. turns out, everyone is so concerned about making "the right decision." we've been trained and cultivated to look for <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/9?lang=eng">heart burn and enlightenment</a><span id="goog_2076314583"></span><span id="goog_2076314584"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a> (vs 8, 9) and that's often confusing. we sit and wait for those two magical feelings to take over our consciousness. sure, that is how it works <i>sometimes</i>, and there are the privileged few who experience that every single time.<br />
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but here's my problem. i'm proactive, and believe in creating perpetual forward movement in my life. elder scott (in the <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/10/learning-to-recognize-answers-to-prayer?lang=eng">best talk ever</a> on this subject) taught us that we need to make educated decisions, and that if they're wrong as we progress forward, <i>we will know</i>. doors of opportunity will be slammed shut in our face, and we can go back to the drawing board.<br />
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<b>here's where the venn diagram comes in. </b>the beautiful space where happiness, true joy, and making decisions coincide to create giant glittery glowing spider strings that lead us to the direction our souls call us--and ultimately in the direction God wants us to go, where we could make the biggest contribution.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">i believe we have a creator who loves us dearly and wants nothing more than for us to be happy in this life<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">. thus, these <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/11?lang=eng">set of scriptures</a> have become my guidance and direction when making decisions: </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4847991855448414417" name="12" style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </a><span class="verse" style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 1px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">12 </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your </span><span style="line-height: 13px;">trust</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> in that</span><span style="line-height: 13px;"> Spirit</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> which </span><span style="line-height: 13px;">leadeth</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> to do </span><span style="line-height: 13px;">good</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">—yea, to do </span><span style="line-height: 13px;">justly</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">, to walk</span><span style="line-height: 13px;"> humbly</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">, to </span><span style="line-height: 13px;">judge</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> righteously; and this is my Spirit.</span></span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4847991855448414417" name="13" style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </a><span class="verse" style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 1px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">13 </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall </span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 13px;">enlighten</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> your </span><span style="line-height: 13px;">mind</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">, which shall fill your soul with </span><span style="line-height: 13px;">joy</span></span></i><span style="line-height: 22px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">;</span></i></span></span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4847991855448414417" name="14" style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </a><span class="verse" style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 1px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">14 </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of</span><span style="line-height: 13px;"> righteousness</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">, <i>in faith believing in me that you shall receive</i>.</span></span></span></blockquote>
i believe that for the most part--whatever it is we are seeking an answer for (majors, future spouses, careers, kids, where to live, which Target sandals to buy, etc.)--that if it fills our soul with joy, if it makes our wheels turn, if it keeps us thinking, excited, if it's something that makes you want to do good and be good, and we totally believe that we will receive an answer, then this is our answer! i mean, ultimately, doesn't it fit the previous criteria of the heart and the mind working together at the same time??<br />
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so, what's the take away? find those things that make you happy and enlighten you. be a chaser of light, and soon enough you'll find your answers and what you've been looking for. meanwhile, i'll be taking my own advice and let you know how it goes.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">here we go!</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">ps on a totally unrelated note, i started a </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://brookdorff.tumblr.com/">super silly tumblr</a> with some doodles. check it out.</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-8235769276197525912014-01-17T13:03:00.001-07:002014-01-17T13:11:38.190-07:00this is the day i write my manifesto.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">this is the day i write my manifesto. the day that i promise myself to become more okay with departures, and welcoming of new souls into my life. this is the day that i will start becoming good at love--that i remember love is something i need to practice and nurture. to remember that i can't dull the pain, and expect to feel the <i>freedom</i> that love brings. because i know when i mute one feeling, i silence them all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">i will become more willing to embrace situations with no guarantees. to remember that i am grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means that i am alive! </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to be determined to do something that makes my palms sweaty, makes my voice shake, makes it hard to breathe, and makes my chest tighten--every day. to become comfortable with things that scare me. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i want to embrace adventure, to seek the ever-changing horizon, but never to become reckless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i want to rewrite my narrative, and not allow false messages to dictate my worth. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i want courage to lace my feet, that they take me down correct paths more and more frequently, and more intuitively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>i want to allow my eyes to twinkle at new discoveries,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>and not be too proud for amazement.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">i want each body part to know and understand its unique worth, and it's integral part in making the rest of my body work; my eyes to know that even though they don't look or function like a nose, it doesn't make them bad, but different and irreplaceable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">i want to love all of these things in myself, so i can more fully love them in others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">i don't want to hide from settling into pain--it is a natural part of life. instead, i will give pain permission to be a sign, reminding me that with pain comes beauty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">last of all, knowing that sometimes i will fall short, but remembering i am an individual capable of more than i've ever imagined. to do this all with grace and humility. to allow myself to laugh so hard and so often, that someday my face will be a testament to the beauty of life through my skin, wrinkled with memories of growth, heartache, and joy. this is my symphony.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-86874575066854225542014-01-15T18:19:00.001-07:002014-01-15T22:59:49.962-07:00on the moment you forget you're boiling an egg, and it pops.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
i've been having a crisis as of late. not quarter-life. i already passed that one, with <a href="http://brooksthoughtsonlife.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-am-i-doing.html">vagaries of life</a> leading me to my current situation in arizona. now i'm having <span style="font-size: x-small;">(was having)</span> just an i'm-not-sure-who-i-am-anymore crisis. and let me tell you this: when you look for truth <span style="font-size: x-small;">(read: <u>pray</u> for truth)</span>, be ready for the answers to accost you from all sides, no matter how contumaciously you fight to be independent, and individual. turns out you can still be independent and individual, <i>and</i> ask for help.<br />
<br />
i was finding myself wondering who i was. it seems quite silly to talk about it in past tense, when this past tense was really recent--like two weeks ago. ANYWAY, why was i going down a path that had suddenly taken it's own life? why wasn't i doing the things that i loved to do anymore? i realized i hadn't: danced, played field hockey, learned a new non-church piano piece, read a fun book, painted or drawn, or really created anything in years! at one point in time, all of these things had once been part of my identity.(does anybody watch new girl? you know a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY9qpSWF7a8">few episodes ago</a> when Winston's like...every decision in my life was made <u>for</u> me! they gave me a basketball when i was born! well, i was kind of feeling like that all of a sudden).<br />
<br />
suddenly, serious anxiety took over my consciousness, and earnest prayer was the only way i knew how to find answers when the following series of events changed my life forever:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">.5 this only gets a half bullet point because it doesn't really count, but was sort of the moment my wheels started turning. so, i watched the notebook and bawled my face off. i mean, i had liquids running from all over my face. but you know she discovers that she doesn't paint anymore, and then decides to go with noah? well it got me thinking about the list i created above. i didn't do the things that i loved anymore, the things that got my heart pumping! i mean, don't get me wrong, i love going to school and learning, but it's just not the same. okay, read on.</span><br />
<br />
1. i read <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng">this discourse</a> on resolutions and regrets for a discussion group. it reminded me that we are majestic, that we have godly heritage, and that we "arrive in this world...'<i><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/101/536.html">trailing clouds of glory</a></i>' from the premortal sphere." digest that for a second. the talk also reminded me that "we are capable of so much more. for that, good intentions are not enough. we must <i>do."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1.5 i stumbled across the picture above. another small seemingly insignificant event.</span><br />
<br />
2. i then attended an inspired conference for thousands of individuals. in the opening remarks, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheri_L._Dew">sheri dew</a> (a woman i esteem and admire), was very raw and honest with us. her plenary guided us through some key events in her life where she was either lost, put in a difficult and stressful situation, or is still experiencing painful things outside of her control. and yet, with power and wisdom, she told us this: "when you know who you are, it changes you. figure out who you are, and it'll change your behavior. it'll change what you do, what you wear, who you date, who you're friends with, the way you treat your family, and the way you treat yourself."<br />
<br />
3. the next day in the same conference, i had the opportunity to listen to <a href="http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/">stephanie nielson</a>. heartbreak oozed out of her quivering voice as she told us a first-hand account of a tragic and painful plane crash she experienced. most shockingly to me, however, were the feelings of despair and depression she shared with us. her most intimate feelings when waking up from a 3.5 month coma after burning 85% of her body, were those of wanting to once again fulfill the measure of her role as a mother and wife. she longed to put baby carrots in her children's school lunches. she missed the fact that her dog would dig through the trash and eat up dirty diapers--and subsequently she would have to bend over, and clean it all up. she missed being able to care for her husband, and the dexterity and usefulness of her extremities. she told us that everything that was once her identity was completely stripped from her, even her physical appearance. it took her months to have the desire to live again. it took until she finally felt she knew who she was again--a mother, a wife, and a beautiful daughter of God.<br />
<br />
4. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVzwkn_ilwA">alex boye</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(link to his hilarious music video)</span>, the biggest ball of energy you will ever get the privilege of knowing, also gave a stirring break-out session in which at the very end he exclaimed, "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE?!" i thought to myself, what do i really know about myself? the rest of the day was quite a blur as i continued to write in a stream of consciousness the things that i knew to be true about brook dorff. it's a great exercise in gratitude, self-awareness, and potential!<br />
<br />
5. i learned about the principle of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belongingness">belongingness</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(i've linked the oh-so-scientific source of wikipedia, but it's basic and will get the gist across. if you want to know more, ask me. i'll send you oodles of long, intense, and incredibly interesting articles). </span>but the boiled down version is this: humans need to belong, and they need to know they are part of something greater. this creates motivation--motivation to be better, to not let others and ourselves down, and overall true joy and happiness.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">and that was the moment for me. you know when you forget about your eggs boiling on the stove? it's been about an hour and you've been a multi-tasking fiend when all of a sudden you hear a giant inexplicable explosion and you take cover because you think someone is shooting at you? and almost at the same instant you duck, the lightbulb goes off: it's the egg you started to boil about an hour ago...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;">(from <a href="http://forum.grasscity.com/general/1215969-hard-boiled-eggs-1-me-0-pics.html">here</a>)</span></div>
<br />
by the time i read about belongingness, discouragement and unproductive emotions that lead to confusion and anxiety had basically all boiled away. i popped (like the boiling egg), and realized the giant thread in this all. that life's vicissitudes will not necessarily disappear entirely, but become much less daunting when we know: where we came from, that we belong, have <i>individual</i> purpose, and a unique set of gifts.<br />
<br />
so there you have it. the longest blog post you'll read in a long time.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">game on, life.</span><br />
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xoxo, with purpose,<br />
brookie<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-63228979933259757112013-11-18T12:27:00.000-07:002013-11-18T12:44:17.213-07:00unblock me.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
you know those block games? the ones where you have to get the little red thing out the other side by moving all the other ones? it's so frustrating sometimes! you think all you have to do is swoosh, swipey, swoosh and you're there. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO... is keep pushing the little red guy forward as more space becomes available. wham, bam. but instead, you have to move the little red block backwards first in order to get it out the other side. moving backwards clears up the path. it's totally counterintuitive, and you think you're doing it wrong, and then all of a sudden the path opens up, and you feel like you've won the lottery!<br />
<br />
well, sometimes i feel life is similar. i can often see the path, the end goal. there are other times i can't really see the end goal, but i know what i want and what makes me the happiest. i know what gives me spring to my baby steps. and maybe it's not getting out of a mess or juggling act (like it is in unblock me), but just moving forward period. i mean, word on the street is that you're either moving forwards or you're moving backwards. no in between.<br />
<br />
but here's my question: how do you know the difference between forward and backwards? sometimes i think that i allow myself to prescribe to false messages of progression. it <i>appears</i> you're moving backwards (much like the blocks), but really you have to go through particular experiences and what appear to be "set-backs" in order to get to your end goal.<br />
<br />
there are just things in every phase of life that are difficult. i've gone from having so many people i knew i could rely on, people ready and willing to hug me, to going weeks without doing anything with anyone (when i first moved to az). i've had friends that have moved back in with parents, packed their bags and called unfamiliar cities their new homes, lost or left jobs, had the courage to start or leave relationships, and so many more things! often the sentiment is that they're (we're) moving backwards, starting over, or that they feel like they're regressing. but really, i've come to realize that the step back is really just a step forward. it seems you're going back for a second (or month or year), but really in the end it was something to be felt, understood, and experienced to finally get us through to the other side of the path.<br />
<br />
so here's the take away. don't be so hard on yourself. sometimes your idea of moving backwards just needs a little perspective, a step back to see the entire puzzle. and remember: some of us have to move and wiggle a little more to get out on the other side, but in the end, we always get there.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-56416795990420863902013-11-13T00:20:00.000-07:002013-11-18T12:36:58.145-07:00"do not let a moment go by that doesn't remind you that your heart beats 900 times a day"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">i will always remember today, 11/12/13 for one thing:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">the day i realized the old testament and slam poetry have absolutely everything in common. yep, you read that right.</span><br />
<br />
you see, i've had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qDtHdloK44">this</a> poem swirly twirling in the back of my mind the last few months (watch below, it's beautiful).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>"this is for the fat girls</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>this one is for the little brothers</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>this is for the school-yard wimps, and for the childhood bullies that tormented them...</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>shake the dust...</i><br />
<i>...do not let a moment go by that doesn't remind you</i><br />
<i>that your heart beats 900 times a day</i><br />
<i>and that there are enough gallons of blood</i><br />
<i>to make you an ocean.</i><br />
<i>do not settle for letting these waves settle</i><br />
<i>and the dust to collect in your veins."</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>-anis mojgani</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
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<i><br /></i>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
as it turns out, shaking the dust is no respecter of persons. it's for just about anybody, in just about any circumstance. but what does shaking the dust really mean? anis tells us. it's running head-on with widespread arms into the face of life; often it's allowing things to flow into our beautifully pumping heart (that at times beats more consciously, audibly, and visibly than others). sometimes it's dangerous. sometimes it presents itself as pain. or vulnerability, love, and courage all wrapped into one giant beautiful composition of bright colors and pounding drums. we've all been there.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
but here's where it gets better. isaiah (52:2) taught me this today: that shaking the dust means freeing ourselves from enslavement and captivity, quite literally.</div>
</div>
<i></i><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><i>"shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem:</i></i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><i>loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion."</i></i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Isaiah 52:2</i></div>
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<br style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
i learned that when we shake the dust, that we are actually just taking our rightful place. that we are being freed from enslavement, and claiming what's ours. we are quite literally standing up, (harlem) shaking the dust, and moving to a new, better place waiting for us to merely ask for it. that we <i>are</i> in fact running with widespread arms. that we are "grabbing the world by its clothespins...walk[ing] into [the world], and breath[ing] it" in the best way we know how.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
so what's enslaving us? what's keeping us from shaking the dust?? how much dust have we allowed to accumulate on our beautiful bodies? and why?? do we believe we are enough? do we believe in growth?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
i know i've had to take some painful introspective glances. do my accomplishments belie whats actually happening in my life? is my path productive, and am i really taking charge in every way that i can? i'm not sure that i am. but that's what this is all about, right?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
basically, i'm saying this to myself as much as i am to anyone reading this. <b>shake the dust!</b> become free from your chains. do something that makes you scared and uncomfortable. recognize those places where you could shake the dust out of your lives. get out, and greet the world with open arms, and run like the wind.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-44925561170639414932013-03-05T11:11:00.000-07:002013-03-05T11:11:00.303-07:00someone knew you'd be traveling that way...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
here i am, back from blogging oblivion. i don't know how long this will last, and it may be a one-time random occurrence. who knows.<br />
<br />
yesterday, i was desperately trying to describe how i am feeling right now in this moment of my life to my best friend. the only analogy i came up with was i felt like i was getting my eye exam done. you know how sometimes while they're flipping heaven-knows-what in that magical chair of theirs, you know without a doubt which prescription or which option will give you the most clarity?? they're like, this one or this one? and you know for SURE it's the first one that's better. but then other times, i sit there, and they have to do it a couple times for me, and i think--IS THIS A TRICK QUESTION? i get all confused, and second-guess myself, and make a choice in haste because i feel like the answer should be obvious but it really isn't. they always give me the cop out by saying, "<i>...or about the same</i>?" i mean, what does that even mean?!?! if they're about the same, why are you giving me two options??? but then i still have no solid answer. and the worst part is this: that i feel like if i make the wrong choice, i wont be able to <i>see</i> for the next year or two until my next appointment!<br />
<br />
or maybe i'm the only looney person who thinks that much about eye appointments. but i take everything i do mostly seriously, and it for reals gives me anxiety. that being said, i feel like right now that's where i'm at! i feel like so many things have been so incredibly clear to me: move to arizona, do the masters' program, live here, go to india, do this, do that. there are so many moments that have been crystal clear. mind you, some clarity has come just in the knick (i actually don't know which kind of nick should be put here so i'm putting both) of time--like moving to arizona in august of 2011 to start only a few days later. but still, they were at one point or another, absolute moments of vision and clarity. but then, it seems like lately, i'm at the end of my eye exam when it starts to get hard, and mucky, and it's all starting to look the same. i'm second-guessing my previous decisions (despite at one point knowing they were what i needed to do), and i'm certainly in the dark as to where i should go next.<br />
<br />
well, all of this was swirling around in my head the last week or two, when yesterday, i was looking for some glitter pens (what, you don't use those anymore?! i sure do!). i found this gem hiding in my folder of papers, pictures, and magazine pages i've collected since i was about 12:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjETL5M5UKteC9OtMV-ltUzNEUSy2Y3b5q47GziTOlHIM7LoOSh7hrNda5usoITS-Hd7tQQD4mkTzzLPlbFvdo3Zl6MdQD3AQ9_4T0-bh3Z5M7SsXN27LO2s3PxnOxAfE7fGD1uezZAN_I/s1600/IMG_20130304_192146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjETL5M5UKteC9OtMV-ltUzNEUSy2Y3b5q47GziTOlHIM7LoOSh7hrNda5usoITS-Hd7tQQD4mkTzzLPlbFvdo3Zl6MdQD3AQ9_4T0-bh3Z5M7SsXN27LO2s3PxnOxAfE7fGD1uezZAN_I/s320/IMG_20130304_192146.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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which seemed to be nothing but heaven-sent. and then, i decided to "randomly" read one of my top three favorite <a href="http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1695">BYU speeches of all time by elder gong</a> (go read it!!), because i hadn't read it for a while, and there was the clarity all over again, explaining the unexplained:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Choosing to trust in God takes faith. The best guide of all as we seek to choose faith in every footstep is the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. Teaches President Boyd K. Packer:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Once you really determine to follow that guide, your testimony will grow and you will find provisions set out along the way in unexpected places, as evidence that someone knew that you would be traveling that way.</i> [“Spiritual Crocodiles,” <i>Ensign,</i> May 1976, 31]</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On occasion, in unexpected places, I have been grateful—as you have been—to find such provisions."</blockquote>
<br />
there was my own personal provision that had been set in the most unexpected place and time waiting for me to discover it. it was the perfect "good game" pat on my butt to help me keep going, and even make decisions about my future.<br />
<br />
basically what i'm trying to say is this: keep at it. don't get discouraged. as a matter of fact, have courage, and stand by 1) the feelings you've had (even if they don't make sense, or didn't play out the way you thought they would in your head), and the 2) direction you feel you've been given. because when you do, you'll all of a sudden find those provisions, those little bread crumbs saying you're doing just fine, and you'll have that vision you've been seeking become clear all over again.<br />
<br />
alright, that's all folks. love you all.<br />
<br />
xoxo, brookie<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-7647034203789942982012-09-02T07:08:00.000-07:002012-09-02T07:18:21.475-07:00departures and insights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiugH4dHha5IyX75eS0mqBOn2mY_2-DMe18_3SOnHtGhnLcqnQRulRC-_nu1JZCLN7V-C0rw2bm2Hl3L9VBtyRbF6A6FsEfPZasiqdoTH6ECqr3mNIHDJPDpsYKCs3Pl3SRBj9iHMRFu1/s1600/IMG_7468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiugH4dHha5IyX75eS0mqBOn2mY_2-DMe18_3SOnHtGhnLcqnQRulRC-_nu1JZCLN7V-C0rw2bm2Hl3L9VBtyRbF6A6FsEfPZasiqdoTH6ECqr3mNIHDJPDpsYKCs3Pl3SRBj9iHMRFu1/s320/IMG_7468.JPG" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the smiles i will miss the most...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
here i sit, half a world away from my dear india. to be honest, i never thought this day would happen and now that it's here, i wish it weren't.<br />
<br />
on the flight home, i watched a film, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/">the best exotic marigold hotel</a>. it was beautiful, hilarious, and one of the more accurate descriptions of india i've found. my favorite quote from there was when one of the characters says:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"can there be anywhere else in the world that is such an assault on the senses? those who know the country well just go about their business. but nothing prepares the uninitiated for this riot of noise and color--for the heat, the motion. the perpetual teeming crowds...initially you're overwhelmed. but gradually you realize it's like a wave. resist and you'll be knocked over. dive into it, and you'll swim out on the other side."</blockquote>
now, i am utterly alone sitting in an insipid airport with one or two stragglers walking past me about every 20 minutes--if i'm lucky. the singular, banal noise is the elevator music softly buzzing, with no symbiosis of life, traffic, animals, gabbar singh streaming from three separate cell phones, and someone yelling "madame" to get my attention. all the passersby wear neutrals and minimal adornments, and i find myself absolutely bored and heartbroken. i keep thinking of all the people who made me promise i wouldn't forget them. and the people who said they'd sell everything they had to help us come back. the only thing that seems to assuage my unexplainable vulnerability and anxiety is the thought of going back to india soon, but even that is uncertain. in life i've learn to expect the unexpected.<br />
<br />
...but i digress. i've already written a <a href="http://brooksthoughtsonlife.blogspot.com/2012/08/so-here-i-am.html">sappy love note to india</a>. so instead, i'm going to make a running list of what the last week has taught me through my ridiculous bout with the indian government and trying to leave the country. maybe someday i'll have the courage to write a little about how india overall has changed me....but at this point, it's not likely.<br />
<br />
so here, it is, ladies and gentlemen--what this last week (read: trying to escape india!) has taught me:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>first and foremost, i've learned that i relate more easily to a couple in their sixties than most people my age. i could have stayed up all night talking to the sweet welfare missionaries about: GPS systems and geocaching, astrology and telescopes, genealogy, geeking out about tandem bikes, talking about camping and wilderness survival, and so many other way more interesting things. i have so much to learn from those with more experience and wisdom, including my wonderful parents. which leads me to....</li>
<li>my parents are beautiful, wonderful, wise, loving people who would do anything for me. what a blessing i have in my life, when i've seen and met those whose parents don't even want them. mine stayed up all night praying for me, no matter what time it was, and updating individuals at 4 in the morning who i'm sure really didn't care as much as they did. these guys can tell from my "hello" if i'm happy or on the verge of hysterics. which leads me to....(man i'm good at these transitions!)</li>
<li>i've learned that as much as i think i'm in control of my emotions, and i make the "sour face" until my face turns blue, i burst out crying at wildly inappropriate times, and i burst out laughing at equally inappropriate times. basically i'm 5 years old and 65 years old at the same time.</li>
<li>i've learned that there is power in voices. voices that are raised up to heaven in my (and others') behalf, voices that call and comfort me, voices who have a meaningful conversation with me, voices who obstreperously contacted the FRRO and west marredpally police incessantly, and voices who softly, kindly, and consistently told me it'd all be okay, that they love me, to please come back to india, and that, despite their beliefs, asked that "God be with me."</li>
<li>i've learned that we are always watched over, and that there <i>is</i> a plan for us. in the height of my troubles, there was a lot of sitting and waiting. i decided to start preparing for my talk i'll be giving at home about india, and read one thing that lead to another and another and another which eventually lead me to a page in the scriptures about courage. i couldn't help but feel all at once that i was not alone as i read a compilation of every scripture relating to courage:</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>be not afraid...God is with thee</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>be strong and of a good courage</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>be thou strong and very courageous</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>she was steadfastly minded to go</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>let no man's heart fail...thy servant will go and fight</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>be ye valiant</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>deal courageously and the Lord shall be with the good</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>he thanked God, and took courage</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>God hath not given us the spirit of fear</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>his heart began to take courage</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>never had i seen so great courage</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
i'm grateful beyond understanding for india, and hope to return there as soon as possible. here's hoping to jumping right back into "real life" here in the states, so i can quickly be cured of my broken-heartedness and perceivable boredom of the senses. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
one of the more popular sayings in india is:</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"<i>everything will be alright in the end.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>and if it's not alright, it's not the end</i>."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
xo,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
brookie</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-83286713225109529832012-08-25T10:05:00.000-07:002012-08-25T10:06:23.166-07:00help and comfort<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuhUK0WI1i1CxQwtRb86X75BvBGG3fnUK6Y9h8Gd5CgiUk7Iriz-UmhbZ_UcOKiv2eyw3NHMNBc7deh7awZ-ACtqvQWt7rgBJjY8eywml-1b3Dm-CpR4UcUi3nlfYzRHd6gNpoycN-7ec/s1600/IMG_7486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuhUK0WI1i1CxQwtRb86X75BvBGG3fnUK6Y9h8Gd5CgiUk7Iriz-UmhbZ_UcOKiv2eyw3NHMNBc7deh7awZ-ACtqvQWt7rgBJjY8eywml-1b3Dm-CpR4UcUi3nlfYzRHd6gNpoycN-7ec/s400/IMG_7486.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">little munchkin cheering because he got a toilet--counting his many blessings...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
well, for those who haven't heard, india couldn't get enough of me and isn't allowing me to leave! it's now saturday night, and i was supposed to leave on wednesday for a few days in dubai, and then back to the states to start off a new semester (a week late!).<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
when i arrived at the airport, i went to pull my passport out and it was nowhere to be found. i was a little confused, pulled everything out, and after searching for 2 hours, realized i wasn't going to be getting it back. after i sent my last two interns on their way, i was stuck at the airport with quite the unanswerable question of what to do. it was almost as if the huge cement structure which was meant to house millions in just a weeks' time was screaming out to me how alone i was and how little control i had over my life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
yet, today, three days after i was supposed to depart this beautiful place, i got yet another small push in the right direction, as i sat and played the piano in a church congregation. we were singing "<a href="http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=905e8ceb1ec20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=e36d5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD">count your blessings</a>," a hymn which i'd heard a thousand times before, and one (to be completely honest) which never really tickled my fancy. i bucked up, pulled my shoulders back, started pounding out the notes, when we got to the last verse, and suddenly i froze as 30 individuals expectantly waited for me to play. there it was on a silver platter:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">So amid the conflict </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">whether great or small</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Do not be discouraged; God is over all!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Count your many blessings; angels will attend,</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end</span>.</span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i realized that i had been given help, comfort, and blessings at every bend in the road, from:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the adorable, kind, handsome police officer that escorted me around the airport for 4.5 hours going from one place to another, calling the airlines, chewing out the help desk, watching my luggage, and telling me to stop crying and think calmly to figure out what i'm supposed to learn from this</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to the cab driver who took us there (and to the airport many times before) who personally took me under his wing, escorted me, proposed to me (another story for another time-hilarous!), and made sure that i got home safely</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to my parents who were so willing at my beckoning call to do <i>anything</i> i asked and never left my side</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to the wonderful man in my church who came with me an entire day in the boiling hot sun to translate and commiserate with me as i'd start bawling because the police officers wouldn't give me an important document, or as the consulate wouldn't let me in</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to the sweet elder and sister hatch who took me into their home and have cared for me, spent long days at the embassy with me, and have cared for me more than they'll ever know</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to the wonderful ladies at the consulate who laughed and cried with me, and made sure i had an emergency passport done and ready in less than 5 hours (really quite the miracle!)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to the wonderful office manager at HELP International's HQ who made it her personal task to help me book a flight, negotiate prices, and figure out flight schedules/times when it's the end of the summer and she has a thousand and one other things to do</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">to so many many more things/people/circumstances/situations i can't even list even if i had the rest of the night to do so........</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">here's the thing. not everything's sorted out. as a matter of fact, it's not nearly close to being sorted out, but i can't help but keep my chin up and have my heart beat a little more steadily. there's no denying i've been taught patience in all things this summer, and most of all i've been reminded countless (pun intended) times that: God is over all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">love you, each of you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">xo</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.22em;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4847991855448414417" name="29" style="color: #003366; line-height: 1.22em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"></a></span></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-45494251882832250602012-08-19T05:05:00.001-07:002012-08-19T05:06:03.538-07:00so here i am....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
and so it is. my time is quickly wrapping up here in india, and i am nothing but a weepy mess. i hardly make it though almost getting run over by a rickshaw, getting freaked out by a cow, or get smothered in line at the grocery store, without getting all teary knowing those things that drive me nuts are the things i'll be missing the most.<br />
<br />
truth is, i was really sad to leave the states. i knew this would be a life-changing experience and many things would be different when i got back--whether it was the people/environment back at home that was different, or the new lenses with which i saw the world that was different. this has happened many times before, where i experience changes or growth in ways unique to my situations and things are never quite the same when i "return" (read <a href="http://brooksthoughtsonlife.blogspot.in/2012/05/what-is-home-anyway.html">this post</a> about my thoughts on home). i thought that i'd miss the: camping, bonfires, food, outdoor concerts, hiking, slurpees, staying out late, breaking into swimming pools, and late night chats listening to the crickets and watching the stars. i thought that my heart would yearn for those things, but the truth is, i hardly missed those at all (minus some food).<br />
<br />
this place, as i've said many times before, is indescribable. it permeates everything about you, and you can't help but fall in love with its idiosyncrasies and abrasiveness. the character everything has here and the love that you feel penetrating is undeniable as you walk down the street and everyone smiles.<br />
<br />
in the last week, i've had the opportunity to see and many different people whether it be the rickshaw drivers or individuals in the slums. all of them have touched my heart deeply as they've expressed their gratitude for our group of interns coming "all the way from america to serve our people." they've told us "thank you for thinking of us poor people who the government doesn't even recognize as individuals" and i can't help but get emotional every time i hear that. i have tried to express to them that their love and hospitality has meant the world to me, but what i really want to share with them is that they are <i>not</i> invisible. they mean something to me and have left me remembering them nightly in my prayers. they have each meant something to the interns on my team. they have meant something to the individuals who, as lame as this sounds, witness pieces of their life on facebook. and they will never be forgotten to our heavenly father, who created and loves us all.<br />
<br />
i have mixed feelings about returning, but am starting to realize that i'll leave a little bit of my heart here in india, and have it replaced in my own heart with a patchwork of bedazzled bangles, brightly colored silks, in-your-face curries, shouts of "MADAME!" and the endearing sing-songing of "welcomeeee" (instead of saying "you're welcome").<br />
<br />
until the next time, india.<br />
<br />
xo, brookie</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-58975817829016526292012-08-10T01:16:00.001-07:002012-08-10T01:36:05.742-07:00"for as long as we have voices..."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftdFjzjOXInOQX_mEwE0OMltWVYIdMMEWjptTQNAFNCimbB37Ocl1lN7wLHHPoNHHqzpYzCyJnRsAqv5pbIPCfZdKDI9W8o_wGPoIdNAoKca2SGElN9O8fHzlZ1DRSt9OEIct0O7vDaVA/s1600/IMG_7188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftdFjzjOXInOQX_mEwE0OMltWVYIdMMEWjptTQNAFNCimbB37Ocl1lN7wLHHPoNHHqzpYzCyJnRsAqv5pbIPCfZdKDI9W8o_wGPoIdNAoKca2SGElN9O8fHzlZ1DRSt9OEIct0O7vDaVA/s320/IMG_7188.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">“in the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. in the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><i>for as long as we have voices</i>.” </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">-elizabeth gilbert</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333;">in the last four weeks (and quite frankly, the whole summer), i have been the incredulous and truly awestruck recipient of the most wonderful service, support, love, and friendship from so many people. i</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> am not particularly known for being short on words, but i honestly fall short when it comes to my ability to express my wonder and the depth of my gratitude for the countless ways that numberless individuals have made me feel </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">so thoroughly loved these last few weeks, both in my indian adventure, and more specifically the <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/borewells">bore-well</a> project (for those of you who don't know, we successfully met our funding goal).</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="display: inline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">with giant glittery tears falling around me, i'd like, <i>for as long as i have my voice</i>, to sing my sincere thanks. it's been a blessing, and i almost feel out of place being able to witness both sides of the beautiful tapestry of interconnectedness and love--those all around the world who hold pieces of my heart, those whose lives did not interweave with mine until now, and the 10,000 individuals who we are serving, who have remarkably done more than their share of the work but are still so grateful. i feel privileged to know the hearts and souls who have come together to contribute, support our team, share the word, listen to my beating heart as i struggled, worried, and processed, all equally as important. and i feel almost as if i don't deserve the outstanding privilege to be able to see first-hand the impact that it will make. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<div style="display: inline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">to those who i know personally:</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="display: inline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">it has been said that, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">"we can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> you are all my treasures, and i have never felt more alive. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">i recognize you each have your own burdens, heartache, and difficulties. your selflessness and kindness overwhelms and humbles me. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">this experience has been nothing short of divine and magical, and for that, i will be forever grateful. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">thank you from our team, thank you from our partner/community members, and thank you from the bottom of my squishy little red-headed, dance-loving, indian-smelling, half-chilean heart.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">much love from india,</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">brookie</span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-69376737865177760782012-08-08T08:11:00.002-07:002012-08-08T08:11:12.500-07:00The Hydraband!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, sometimes I write really sentimental, serious posts, like <a href="http://india.help-international.org/blog/all-we-love-deeply">this one</a> I did for our team blog. Other times, despite the long work days (or maybe <i>because</i> of the long work days--the hot sun does a number on ya sometimes!) dealing with serious, heart-wrenching development work our team likes to have fun.<br />
<br />
We have started a band that does everything from our own covers, to music videos. Our latest is quite the masterpiece, and edited by yours truly. I'm hoping this will get me on the ellen show someday....Please enjoy our latest here:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vr0q0fLVWKw" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
and our older number one hits here:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-RRerwscDK8" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
and here:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7iFgNxWAzR8" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-16191728975212191512012-07-28T20:17:00.002-07:002012-08-31T03:50:06.362-07:00the human spirit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugt2pX2wQyk/UBSrP3mNCDI/AAAAAAAAB8A/BwtNAhGO768/s1600/179964_10151053507821162_296950621_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ugt2pX2wQyk/UBSrP3mNCDI/AAAAAAAAB8A/BwtNAhGO768/s400/179964_10151053507821162_296950621_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
what would you be willing to fight for?<br />
<br />
i learned a great lesson today from the most incredible women in the slums.<br />
<br />
we have some lovely people visiting us from the board of directors and operation council, and were asked to introduce them to our partners, and show them around. as we toured the different slums, the women from the community were told that we were there to meet them and learn from them. dressed in their most beautiful sarees, equipped with jasmine flowers lining their hair, and with nothing but absolute resolution in their eyes, the women gathered waiting for us to hear their stories. some waited as long as four hours to meet us, but mostly to have their voices heard.<br />
<br />
one at a time, individual women came to share their personal stories. stories of migration. stories of wanting to learn to read just so they could check their childrens' homework or just so they could figure out how to get home from their daily manual labor jobs (riding a bus is difficult when you can't read where it's going or where it came from). these beautiful women dressed in every color of the rainbow were each as individual and unique as their sarees. not one was like the other, yet their stories had a similar thread: one of persecution, struggle, and fighting for their rights. they were all individuals with souls and beating hearts, with great difficulties in their life, yet their biggest one was being recognized as a person.<br />
<br />
the government did not recognize them individually or as a community. countless times they'd been driven out of their homes or had them bull-dozed. the police force refused to give them government-issued ID cards so that their rights couldn't be heard if they didn't exist. how could a group of individuals have a voice if they were considered invisible?<br />
<br />
yet, these "invisible" women came up with a brilliant plan to make themselves heard. they came together and decided to grind up the spiciest chili powder they had so that the next time they would be ready for when the police came. they prepared little packages so every woman could have at least a fist-full of chili powder, distributed them, and waited patiently. these women had had to wait for many other things in their lives, so this was a walk in the park. before long, the police came to drive them out, and as soon as they were close enough they threw the powder! the police retracted, and they were not only able to get their ID cards but also able to call the land their own, and have built themselves a wonderful community.<br />
<br />
their resilience and perseverance taught me so much and begged the question once again: what would i be willing to fight for?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-35846718253132425102012-07-26T10:52:00.001-07:002012-07-26T18:53:24.564-07:00shared human vulnerability<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"'there is nothing so whole as a broken heart,' said rabbi mendel of kotzk, a hasidic sage. the world breaks our hearts open, and the openness makes us whole. engaged with a brokenhearted world, we cannot and should not expect to be 'cured' of grief, fear, and despair. rather, we learn how to become more comfortable with our shared human vulnerability. we learn the art and power of no protection--a spiritual power, not an egoic conquest won through armoring ourselves against pain, or against an enemy. to learn this alchemy, we must be willing to accept suffering and vulnerability as a normal part of life. because we are vulnerable, life hurts. we are not here to be free of pain. we are here to have our hearts broken by life, and to transform that pain into love."<br />-miriam greenspan</span></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83eYJiOWihc/UBGCCyyHAvI/AAAAAAAAB70/jGeOQreE3LY/s1600/DSC04502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-83eYJiOWihc/UBGCCyyHAvI/AAAAAAAAB70/jGeOQreE3LY/s400/DSC04502.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the most loving munchkins you will ever find, with a lot more pain in his life than i've ever experienced</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">i am unsure that i can add anything of value to this already-beautiful quote. however, i am repeating myself when i say that i am inspired daily by my interactions with people here in india. i hear personal stories of people on my team who have overcome great personal tragedy and yet always have a smile on their face. women come in droves to tell us about their traumas--migrating, losing husbands, losing children, physical ailments, HIV/AIDS, and yet because they are vulnerable, they are strong. and their strength, in turn, transforms itself into love. if we could all learn just a little bit more from those who surround us, whether they uplift us or if they degrade us, then we will be much happier in life.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">xo,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">brookie</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-39783974562771694002012-07-22T19:29:00.001-07:002012-07-26T18:53:04.379-07:00bore wells<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
well, it's monday morning and i'm quite busy, but here is a quick post.<br />
<br />
it wont be serious. it wont be funny. just a request, and that is...<br />
<br />
that you please help me get the word out for this campaign-- <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/borewells">http://www.indiegogo.com/borewells</a><br />
<br />
here's a blog post by a team member about just one of the stories behind the bore well: <a href="http://india.help-international.org/blog/people-behind-borewell">http://india.help-international.org/blog/people-behind-borewell</a><br />
<br />
t-18 days until the campaign is completed. every little bit counts.<br />
<br />
much love from india,<br />
xo brookie</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-91717263744266500862012-07-15T12:02:00.000-07:002012-07-15T12:03:22.455-07:00all prayers go to heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pll_5ZJzMKI/UAMTF4ARrgI/AAAAAAAAB7U/uA98Mye2Jco/s1600/320442_10151016315631162_1766496324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pll_5ZJzMKI/UAMTF4ARrgI/AAAAAAAAB7U/uA98Mye2Jco/s400/320442_10151016315631162_1766496324_n.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">prayers tied on a tree at a temple in hampi, india<br />
each prayer is left there to be remembered by all those who see it<br />
(photo credit: katrina nelson)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
i took a trauma class this last semester in my grad program, and we spent a long time talking about a term we coined: "<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">trauma olympics</span></i>."<br />
<br />
basically, it explains the phenomenon of some traumas or pains being greater than others. people believe that their own pain is infinitely worse than someone else's so why are they complaining? or the complete opposite response of which i am more familiar--individuals thinking that their pain is nothing compared to anothers' so they have no reason to be sad or to complain.<br />
<br />
while i've been here in india i have been humbled by people's stories and hardships. i receive strength daily from the resilient people who surround me. some people i will never see again, however the five minutes in which they blessed and enriched my life will never be something i forget. either i can't imagine the pain they've experienced, the injustice they've encountered, or life obstacles i couldn't even begin to pretend to understand.<br />
<br />
see, the thing that makes me the most uncomfortable, and even sad, is when i have a friend or family member who starts an email or phone conversation with: "i know it's not as bad as what you've seen in india, but..." or "i've had a hard week, but i guess i shouldn't complain because it's not as hard as the people you see in india," etc.<br />
<br />
i guess what i've realized here in india is that the trauma olympics make less and less sense to me. i share my experiences so that people who may want to read about them will be motivated to change and maybe experience gratitude and a slew of other emotions; however, i don't want those same individuals to undermine their own suffering and pain. i want people to realize that their own trauma, tears shed, and heartache are just as real as another's.<br />
<br />
we all have times in our life when we need a little lifting. everyone can probably think of one aspect of their life that can use some extra prayers whether it be death, trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, mending relationships, schooling, making big decisions, needing help to become more social, or whatever physical ailment may at one point or another bother us. we all have prayers that need to be sent to heaven. please recognize that even if sometimes you may feel small or insignificant, i want you all to know that they all get to the same place at the same speed. all prayers go to heaven (or whatever you believe), and everyone needs love.<br />
<br />
xo<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCwO9XD2kgHoiyJyrzG0TqJuHBgVqgOFAtBiKi5z2PipXGkwDV0Pf_6iEcVmelL9EQEE35ZrBAYjzfNyZ6Acix3XpoprjBcRcs0dq0VhbXVSxliP0oS7sGcr8TOzxIoZqeLzO-9bqs6xQ/s1600/335947_10151014147776162_954649878_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZCwO9XD2kgHoiyJyrzG0TqJuHBgVqgOFAtBiKi5z2PipXGkwDV0Pf_6iEcVmelL9EQEE35ZrBAYjzfNyZ6Acix3XpoprjBcRcs0dq0VhbXVSxliP0oS7sGcr8TOzxIoZqeLzO-9bqs6xQ/s400/335947_10151014147776162_954649878_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">prayer rags on a tree in hampi, india...<br />
people leave them for specific purposes and prayers that need to be remembered and heard<br />
(photo credit: katrina nelson on my team)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-90390934203345190102012-07-06T23:11:00.001-07:002012-07-06T23:11:00.369-07:00by the numbers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QnGd577EO6k/T_Mwxl4KOJI/AAAAAAAAB68/-oio2ZyYmmw/s1600/545508_10150999955501162_1475714849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QnGd577EO6k/T_Mwxl4KOJI/AAAAAAAAB68/-oio2ZyYmmw/s400/545508_10150999955501162_1475714849_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">katrina on my team took this one for our "missing children" campaign</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
1...the number of children in my family<br />
2...the number of functioning hands (and feet) i have<br />
3...total members in my family<br />
4...months i'm in india<br />
5...days a week i'm <i>supposed</i> to work out<br />
9...number of sites <a href="http://help-international.org/">help international</a> has this year<br />
13...individuals living in my house right now<br />
14...oreo packets <a href="http://india.help-international.org/">we</a> demolished the other night<br />
20(th)...the day batman comes out!!!<br />
<br />
and 30......<br />
<br />
every 30 seconds a child goes missing in india. by the time you're finished reading this, depending on how quickly you read this, there will be anywhere from 8-20 children that have gone missing here.<br />
<br />
i tried googling the word "disappeared" and the first thing that came up is an article from wikipedia listing all of the individuals who have mysteriously disappeared. the sad thing is that in that list, there are hundreds of children who go unnoticed daily. many of these children don't know how to write or say their own names (often one can identify at least which region in india someone is from by their last name) so they can't find their way home.<br />
<br />
you may be asking yourself, where do these children go? what happens to them?<br />
<br />
-they run away<br />
-their parents are killed or committed suicide<br />
-they are sold to the circus, but usually kidnapped<br />
-they are taken for sexual purposes<br />
-they get lost<br />
-they get put to work as child laborers in factories<br />
<br />
...and many many more things. the sad thing is that there isn't a system in place to find these children. in fact, 80% of the police think looking for children is a waste of their time, and don't even bother.<br />
<br />
something interesting to ponder: which people do we allow to go unnoticed? whom do we allow to disappear entirely? which individuals do we discredit completely as human or noteworthy?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India17.385044 78.48667117.142593 78.170814000000007 17.627495 78.802528tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-28556865295686642132012-07-05T11:11:00.000-07:002012-07-05T11:11:00.296-07:00first thing i'll eat in the US<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
so we spend quite a bit of time here in india discussing the foods we miss the most. i'd even go as far as saying 97% of our non-project related discussions revolve around this topic....the other percentage of time is spent discussing our cool pictures we'll take (exhibit a)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r_K37WzHLFA/T_NEuf63mqI/AAAAAAAAB7I/lNCgdVmF-fY/s1600/IMG_6314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r_K37WzHLFA/T_NEuf63mqI/AAAAAAAAB7I/lNCgdVmF-fY/s400/IMG_6314.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
but i digress.....<br />
<br />
we've talked about...<br />
1. which food is the first one we'll have the second we get off the plane<br />
2. if you had to be on a deserted island with only one food for the rest of your life what would it be<br />
3. which breakfast foods we miss the most<br />
4. which fruits/veggies we miss the most<br />
5. which things we can live without<br />
and a number of other things...which leads me to my next point.<br />
<br />
i'll tell you the things i miss the most:<br />
<br />
1. CHEESE. you have no idea what a wonderful thing cheese is (or maybe you do!!). i certainly did when i was in the US but man i have never felt this way about cheese as i do now. what i'd kill for a slice of cheddar, havarti, goat, pepper jack, or fresh mozzarella ball.<br />
2. avocados. 'nuff said.<br />
3. hummus.<br />
4. strawberries. blueberries. raspberries. blackberries. cherries.<br />
5. a fresh, gigantic, amazing salad.<br />
6. a nice piece of fluffy bread.<br />
7. chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, and dark chocolate and sea salt covered almonds from trader joe's.<br />
8. slurpees.<br />
9. yogurtland (see previous post)<br />
<br />
not sure why you need to know this about me, but please eat a giant block of cheese in my honor.<br />
...but if you do, don't tell me about it, k?<br />
<br />
xoxo<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-10165120711716289772012-07-03T23:11:00.001-07:002012-07-03T23:11:00.120-07:00the fro-yo level<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
so my cousin sent me this quote because it reminded her of me:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">"So needless to say, this is not activity J. Law and I would be doing if/when we became friends. We’d probably just remain on the fro-yo level for a long time.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">You know the fro-yo level. The person you call to get fro-yo with you when you feel too ashamed to go alone — yet, crave it so badly that you can’t stand to live another moment with that cold self-serve fro-yo handle in your hand. If you know what I’m talking about, you KNOW what I’m talking about."</span></blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
apparently it's someone talking about some celebrity picture. but the point is this: i totally have the fro-yo level. although i'm pretty sure i'm at the fro-yo level with every human. the more i thought about it, the more i realized i have a hierarchy of individuals i call on the fro-yo level, and i'd like to expound on this idea.<br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">ladies and gentlemen</span></i>, i would like to introduce to you the fro-yo level <u>hierarchy of love</u>:<br />
<br />
1. <b>the person to call first: roommate</b>. here's the thing. you're not fooling your roommate about your work out or diet plans. they know every single detail usually, and is the most willing to "take one for the team." plus roommates are most easily coerced if you say stuff like "i'll drive" (or if you have any sort of income--aka not me--things like "i'll pay!").<br />
<br />
all people hereafter are back-up plans:<br />
<br />
2. <b>the friend having a really terrible day</b>. yes, i realize this is terribly unfair, and you am taking full advantage of their vulnerable situation and state. however, they usually always say yes and i promise fro-yo solves <i>all</i> problems.<br />
3. <b>casual school friends/co-workers</b>. these individuals can also be easily coerced by saying "let's swing by after class/work/during lunch/take a break," etc. you don't have to talk about deep things and you're both happy. you can easily fool them into thinking you're normally healthy but this one time you want to splurge.<br />
4. <b>love interest you feel lukewarm about</b>. fro-yo is a good testing ground. which toppings do they get? do they pay? conversations could easily swing from light and casual, to deep and monumental.<br />
5. <b>love interest you know likes you but you're not interested</b>. again, i'm aware of taking advantage of situations. a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get some fro-yo.<br />
<br />
**the last resort**<br />
<br />
6. <b>last but not least: parents/family/bffs (if they're not 1 or 2)</b>. here's the thing about this one--play your cards right. you're not fooling anyone in this category about your diet/exercise plans, and they will make you feel bad about every single bite you take!!!! but again, if you must do this, then you must do this!<br />
<br />
well, that's that. got we got that cleared up, and next time you swing by yogurtland or your neighborhood fro-yo place, just remember:<br />
<br />
who you gonna call??</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-44405544113398382092012-07-02T11:11:00.000-07:002012-07-03T12:37:34.496-07:00monsoon season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
with a renewed hope of freshness and life, the monsoon season hit southern india with abruptness and confidence. people looked forward to the monsoons that would temporarily save them from their drought. the monsoons were supposed to bring water to those who wait days for water. they were supposed to bring softer soil, and promise of a kitchen garden for those without income and subsequently without food.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLHHmq6hSqA/T_Hj-AJD5eI/AAAAAAAAB6w/50vuN_ygyEs/s1600/IMG_6279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLHHmq6hSqA/T_Hj-AJD5eI/AAAAAAAAB6w/50vuN_ygyEs/s400/IMG_6279.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
yet, the monsoons hit with a week of vengeance, and since it has been smoldering hot again. it came like a thief in the night--here one day, and gone the next. the thing is, the days that the monsoon hits, the streets are deserted. trash, human and animal waste, and dirt float to the surface. not a single item remains even halfway dry. and i've learned one very important lesson:<br />
<br />
<i>try as you might, you can't clear your view or see a path clearly with a wet hand.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
it is hard to wipe something completely clean with something dirty.<br />
<br />
i feel as if here in india, we are constantly struggling to fight for a new path, but mostly just smudging things around. my previous post illustrates some of the daily juxtapositions that i encounter. today, i had to sit quietly as i heard about undesired daughters named "unwanted" (Nakusa) or "girl who was not wanted." i had to sit and listen about girls who are named "girl to be used as a social prostitute" (Mataram). girls whose families believe that these young girls (aged 7-13) can be married to hindu gods, and in turn be used by any man in their village at any time they desire. these girls are sacrificed and dedicated to the entire village for the men's pleasure.<br />
<br />
today i witnessed as three laboring women with infants slung on their sides clamored to get onto a moving train with water buckets tied to a bamboo pole. subsequently, two of the women lost a few of their water buckets, something they have to purchase here with their own savings for laboring. i watched as i saw the forlorn look cross their faces when these women started calculating the real cost of what just happened: weeks of savings to purchase the buckets, the set back that means on their daily income of a few rupees a day (a few cents a day) without the buckets, and how much they will have to save to purchase some new ones. this whole time i watched them literally fighting for their own lives, a man was in the seat next to me pointing out microsoft's biggest headquarters outside of the US, and facebook's asia headquarters here in hyderabad.<br />
<br />
the thing is, there are days where i can't make much sense of what is actually going on around me. there are other days where things are blatantly clear. like the hot sun here is being magnified and singed into my forearm for me to never forget. i can't help how clearly i understood today that the bottom line is this: we are all humans and should be treated as such. today, more than ever, i re-learned that suffering is universal, as can be compassion, empathy, and a smile. although sometimes it may seem impossible to see the path through the monsoons, and maybe sometimes you can't find that dry hand to wipe away the murk, that eventually the monsoons stop, and in the end they bring life back into a desolate place.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India17.385044 78.48667117.142593 78.170814000000007 17.627495 78.802528tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-40014987434150188742012-06-30T20:48:00.000-07:002012-07-03T12:37:22.395-07:00..that one time it was july 1st<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OO4NbAyVOoM/T-_ImsE0CjI/AAAAAAAAB6k/-ECm4isXN4Q/s1600/tumblr_lyfoc7dTnv1qfd1rto1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OO4NbAyVOoM/T-_ImsE0CjI/AAAAAAAAB6k/-ECm4isXN4Q/s320/tumblr_lyfoc7dTnv1qfd1rto1_500.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
before i knew it, it became july.<br />
i'm laying in bed listening to the sounds outside--a man doing a low-pitched call for old newspapers, and crazy drumming and bells to get offerings for the monsoon gods.<br />
<br />
i've been asked to update people on my life, but this place is too mystifying and magical to describe. everything hits you in the face so hard all at once. nothing is half-way.<br />
<br />
the colors are overwhelming, even the white seems brighter and the blacks seem to have more depth. there are no pastels, or "muted" earth-tones.<br />
<br />
the smells are either heavenly--from fresh jasmine flowers adorning people's hair and door-ways, to deadly--fresh fermenting human and cow waste.<br />
<br />
the people here are either extremely loving and friendly, or extremely abrasive.<br />
<br />
every article of clothing is adorned with some sort of sparkle, sequins, bedazzle, or accessory. the women daily put on toe rings, bindi, bangles to take you to the moon and back, and braid their long, thick hair.<br />
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the food is extremely sweet or extremely spicy.<br />
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the weather is either unbearably hot, with heat coming up from the ground, or monsooning so that one has to swim through the deserted streets and sleep with earplugs.<br />
<br />
the women are constantly overlooked. the children are constantly reprimanded.<br />
<br />
the thing is, here in india we experience the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. i'm pretty sure i laugh from the depths of my stomach at least once a day. i probably cry at least once a day too. i hear stories of individuals who have become my latest hero. people who have overcome impossible odds and stigmas. people who have used their whole life savings to create some sort of latrine for themselves and their families so they don't have to walk 3 km just to defecate. women who have moved beyond prejudices of HIV and their husbands leaving them in a society where that means everything.<br />
<br />
someday, i'll have the chance to sit and write it all down. until then, i'll continue to share little "snaps" as they call them here--pictures or snippets of my life here in india. maybe a little will cause you to think as it has with me.<br />
<br />
much love from india,<br />
brookie<br />
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-14903319145238483632012-06-26T11:11:00.000-07:002012-06-26T11:11:00.304-07:00the "green bean"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
one of the first few weeks here in india, i had the chance to celebrate my birthday.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
as part of the birthday celebration, we went to a beautifully displayed buffet of veg and non-veg food. i was elated beyond my wildest dreams when to my surprise i saw a spread of freshly cut vegetables! i grabbed a plate full of carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, and what i thought was green beans. when i joyously brought the plate back to my table, i took a giant bite out of the green beans, and to my dismay my mouth suddenly self-combusted. okay not really, but my lips swelled, and i started sweating from every possible orifice on my face. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
turns out, the "green bean" was a spicy spicy green pepper. i almost died on my 26th birthday, but i learned a valuable lesson...don't judge a book by it's cover!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
no, but in all reality, i didn't really learn a lesson that night except how to make my mouth not so hot--yogurt and sugar does the trick. the lesson i was to learn from that singular experience came several weeks later in the form of a church talk on june 24th. what i learned was this:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
when we are eating sweet fruits (like mangos and pineapples) we enjoy how they taste. however, when we partake of things that are bitter, spicy, and overpowering (GREEN PEPPERS), we can no longer taste the sweet fruit. the woman telling this analogy related those to embittered sentiments, frustration, jealousy, impatience, etc. when we are experiencing these feelings it's difficult to see the good and to continue to live a "sweet life."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
this woman at church taught me such a simple, yet powerful lesson. honestly, when i ate that chili pepper, i could think of no other things. i couldn't think about the delicious coconut rice or sweet mago lassi i had just had--all i could think about was how to make my whole body not go into shock and how to retain my taste buds. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
much like what she taught, it's a good reminder to keep ourselves free from things that will taint our sweetness. let's try to smile a little more, and to think more positively about those who surround us daily.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
much love from india,</div>
<div>
brookie</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India17.385044 78.48667117.142593 78.170814000000007 17.627495 78.802528tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-86845749349135868252012-06-06T22:29:00.000-07:002012-06-06T22:40:23.781-07:00gratitude<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
i started this blog post ages ago, because of this quote i found:</span></h3>
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<span class="UIStory_Message"><br /></span></h3>
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<span class="UIStory_Message" style="font-size: large;">"Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self sufficiency."</span></h3>
<h3 class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: #333333; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span class="UIStory_Message" style="font-size: large;">- Gordon B. Hinckley</span></h3>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-miI0yaBAy5g/T9A64tmJKrI/AAAAAAAAB40/S9b95FG2vWA/s1600/554621_10150941880866162_727091161_9751122_2032341260_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-miI0yaBAy5g/T9A64tmJKrI/AAAAAAAAB40/S9b95FG2vWA/s400/554621_10150941880866162_727091161_9751122_2032341260_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful woman from the leprosy colony, picture by one of our interns, katrina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
the thing is, as i now reflect on myself, i believe i knew nothing of gratitude back when i started on this post. i'm by no means saying that i know every dimension, angle, and all depth when it comes to gratitude. however, what i am saying is that my gratitude has lately covered uncharted territory in my synapses. the other day i wrote out a list of what i was grateful for based on what i had seen, and instead of complicating my list with superfluous explanations, i'll just share it with you all. enjoy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
i am grateful for:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>the knowledge that i have to know how to <a href="http://india.help-international.org/blog/indelible-thumbprints">write my own name</a></li>
<li>dexterity, mobility, and use of all of my limbs, joints, phalanges, feet, ankles, mouth, and face</li>
<li>the fact that i also still have all of those parts</li>
<li>parents who didn't have to choose between feeding themselves or other children, and keeping me</li>
<li>parents, period. and ones that love and nurture me to boot</li>
<li>the <a href="http://www.lds.org/">gospel</a> in my life</li>
<li>family--grandparents and cousins who love and support me</li>
<li>forgiveness</li>
<li>sight</li>
<li>knowledge of the rules of health, and access to health care</li>
<li>money and the ability to travel</li>
<li>my experiences in life</li>
<li>all of the people who love, support, and pray for me in my behalf</li>
<li>technology and photography</li>
<li>time</li>
<li>smiles, with or without teeth</li>
<li>giggles and laughs</li>
<li>personality</li>
<li>agency</li>
<li>prayer</li>
<li>food</li>
<li>access to water (more on this later)</li>
</ul>
<div>
this may seem simple or even elementary, but that's totally fine with me. my heart swelled as i realized all of the things i've been given in this life, and all of the love that we are all constantly subjected to. the children and people that i interact with daily also see all of the things they've been given in life, and are constantly expressing their gratitude for things like shoes made just for their feet, learning how to make toys/picture frames/flower pots out of trash, etc.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2ItDM8HtpcebxQpzA49JR1P4vmf-CKhYX2GPNQv0NmMFvmTTcro_ozA_AClVniLg3eMKFCa8O1nhBUtndJyFx263psskcSkoinJbHrvoFFkC2bmrIszN3IWmC4snGW6BvE39v83sRzMk/s1600/401907_10151028513021934_1869627600_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2ItDM8HtpcebxQpzA49JR1P4vmf-CKhYX2GPNQv0NmMFvmTTcro_ozA_AClVniLg3eMKFCa8O1nhBUtndJyFx263psskcSkoinJbHrvoFFkC2bmrIszN3IWmC4snGW6BvE39v83sRzMk/s400/401907_10151028513021934_1869627600_n.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">trash toys, pots, and picture frames--picture by one of our interns, allie rae</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTwb4GehSVw/T9A62jT_eLI/AAAAAAAAB4o/7killYKdgKA/s1600/380219_10150941882861162_725314347_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTwb4GehSVw/T9A62jT_eLI/AAAAAAAAB4o/7killYKdgKA/s400/380219_10150941882861162_725314347_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">hands of one of the women from the leprosy colony, picture by one of our interns, katrina</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
much love from india,</div>
<div>
brookie</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com6Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India17.385044 78.48667117.142593 78.170814000000007 17.627495 78.802528tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847991855448414417.post-39279514904159380502012-05-13T11:19:00.003-07:002012-05-13T11:21:14.918-07:00indelible footprints<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-veUvhcOo-J0/T6_5dcTq_VI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/Wy1OuU_Uq9Y/s1600/IMG_5784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-veUvhcOo-J0/T6_5dcTq_VI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/Wy1OuU_Uq9Y/s400/IMG_5784.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
a few months back, i heard someone say,<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">"you'll find as you're changing the world, you're changing yourself."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
i did not come to india to change the world, nor do i pretend to think that i have any impact on the entire world. i realize that i am small and a mere simple girl with little to no reach. as a matter of fact, the more i travel, the smaller i feel. the more i realize how much there is that exists on this earth, and how many individual lives with individual heartbeats and breaths surround us.<br />
<br />
the first few days the volunteers are here (they finally got here on thursday!!), my co-director and i have some great "exposure visits" planned with each organization we've worked with in the past. this includes seeing HIV/AIDS clinics, slums, leprosy colonies, "bridge schools," gardening projects, and meeting indigenous people of india who may be displaced due to a dam(n) dam being built. needless to say, i have had and will have some incredible experiences in the next/last 10 days.<br />
<br />
the first of these which took place on thursday. it was the day our volunteers got into town (at 3am nonetheless), so we wanted to start off with something simple. turns out, i can't stop thinking about it, and probably never will. one of the organizations we work with, MV Foundation, runs what is called a "bridge camp." there are millions of child laborers here in india--both those born into it, sold into it, and taken into it. the child laborers cover everything from the stuff you buy at walmart, to sex slavery, to precious pearls and gold. sometimes, if a child has the opportunity, they can escape the life in which they are enslaved because of different reasons. however positive this is, it is also a bad thing because once they leave, they are often left with no family, no means for food or housing, and certainly no opportunity to marry with no dowry or family to present them. without these things, the public schools wont accept them (even though the government "regulates" that everyone is to be accepted), and these children not only fall behind the people their age, but have no chance of catching up and eventually go back to their old livelihoods and lifestyles.<br />
<br />
what a bridge school does, then, is bridge the gap between what they missed through not being in school, and create opportunities for education for boys and girls. on top of that, they give them somewhere to live, family, job skills, social skills, and an address so they can apply for school.<br />
<br />
we had the opportunity to visit one such school here in the outskirts of Hyderabad, and i will never forget it. we only got to go into one classroom, but these girls gave me so much strength and have left indelible footprints on my heart. i will never forget their faces, the hope, and the enthusiasm in which they spoke, listened, learned, and <i>sang</i>. these girls were so proud of the body parts they learned in english. they were so proud of the pronouns, the math, their little chalk boards in which they wrote all of their assignments, and they had every right to be proud. they had every right to be beaming, because they had an opportunity, actually a human right, all of a sudden granted: education, and freedom.<br />
<br />
before we left, they wanted to sing a song for us. i will leave you with that. to see pictures from the experience, you can see my fb pictures <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100469166333879.2530225.17801626&type=3&l=d3bbe2d3c1">here</a>. the song they sang is in telugu, the national language in AP (the state). they talk about how no one will ever take their freedom from them. they proclaim and shout that they have the right to learn and to become whatever they desire to become (most want to be educators, doctors, and engineers). they talk about how they are the future generation. i was very emotional as i heard them sing with vigor, with nothing but pure determination on their smiling faces.<br />
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enjoy.<br />
ps. read our team country blog <a href="http://india.help-international.org/">here</a><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02805171783399827005noreply@blogger.com3