EYI 2012: Who Empowered Who
“We talked about empowering the youth…. But who really empowered who?”
In this 7 day journey hitting the streets in Los Angeles, we talked about empowering the youth, we met with amazing souls who had lived it first-hand in Watts, in The Projects, witness to the Bloods & the Crips, we met with amazing leaders who had been huge contributors to the success of gangs and major drug deals, and we had met with young teens who grew up in non-affluent neighborhoods who were now using their voice to make a difference.
It’s Getting Really Real
After 12 months of talking about sex trafficking and working hard to raise awareness and money for these girls, today it became really real.
By day three of this trip, we have met and learned about some of the organizations that we gave money to. Met the courageous and compassionate leaders (mostly women) who are fierce and affecting change.
Be Love
As I sit on the bus ride home and listen to Michael Franti sing, “Is your love enough, or can you love some more?” I am reminded of my intention this morning. . . “to BE love.”
It is challenging for me to be love when my mind focuses on the violence that these girls have been exposed to. I feel anger towards the men that have violated them, anger towards the governments that do not intervene to end this and anger towards myself for not doing more.
Give As Much As You Have, If Not More
Before going to the Nijuloy Shelter Home today, we made a detour to walk through a nearby village. The streets are filled with people, bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. I have yet to make any sense of the traffic pattern here. Our driver says, “to drive in India you must have three things – good brakes, a good horn, and good luck!”
Back To My Senses
Proprioception. From Latin meaning “one’s own” and perception, it means knowing where your body is in space even if you can’t see it. Without proprioception, we’d need to watch our feet to make sure we stay upright while walking.
It was this innate sense of inner-knowing that led me to join the Seva Challenge even though I couldn’t see the steps ahead of me.
When in India, Go with the Flow!
Today was our second visit with the girls at Saanlap. We showed up ready to teach them a Yoga class, do some cleaning and painting, and enjoy spending time just hanging out and playing. If you have ever been to India, you know the best laid plans are not always brought to fruition. This was the case for us today, but the best advice is: when in India, go with the flow! It is essential for your happiness and peace of mind to have no expectations or try to control anything.