Sometimes I'm amazed at the things I unearth in my room. It's kind of a disaster right now with boxes, clothes, paintings, and a host of other things scattered about. For whatever reason this afternoon I decided to sort through my filing cabinet. Mind you, I bought this filing cabinet when I was in middle school, if not elementary school. No exaggerating. I love having things organized and it started at an early age. I've got papers and notes in the cabinet from when I was in third and fourth grade - writing assignments, stories, drawings, notes, graded tests, etc. It's a small treasure trove, a glimpse into my life.
Well, I came across a paper today that made me laugh out loud and then I nearly started crying. Because to me it was evidence of so many things - dreams, goals, ambitions, a life that has come full circle, yet again, just like I mentioned in the last post. I wrote this paper when I was 13 years old, now nearly 13 years ago - I would have been in the 7th grade. It was dated October 8, 1997. Here is what I had to say in my paper entitled "A Special Country," a response to the question asked by the teacher of what country would we like to visit:
"I would definitely visit the exciting country of Kenya, Africa. To me, the animals and wildlife that live in Africa are fascinating. I would probably take an exciting safari trip! I could even take a few pictures of the herds of animals. It sounds really exciting! After that I would tour the country to see what the region is like. I would visit the villages and cities to see the different customs and cultures that they have. Maybe I could learn to speak their language. Meeting the people of Kenya would be a special experience!! (Clearly I was a fan of exclamation marks, and using two for emphasis.) It would be interesting to see how different Kenya is from the United States. Learning about the government, people, animals and farming of Kenya would broaden my horizons. The continent of Africa, in general, entices (does anybody in 7th grade use that word other than me?) me. The animals and wildlife would have to be my main purpose to go to Kenya, Africa. This country seems to be very impressive. That is why I want to visit this country so badly."
Oh, man. Isn't that crazy? After all these years. Africa was on my mind all along, even if it wasn't always at the forefront. Even in 7th grade when I was writing (thank goodness my writing has evolved to get beyond simple sentences and paragraphs that include more than two sentences) and dreaming, I was dreaming of Africa. My dreams have changed a little - it's not for the animals that I go and it's not for the safaris, although those are wonderful things. It's for the people - it's for the little ones who have been orphaned by AIDS and epidemics, war and famine. It's for the chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus, even if for a moment.
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