My resolve to try to make a
difference in a young person’s life is inspired by a powerful song by Stevie Wonder called, “Used To Be.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a1hvwLJ9Jk
And contrary to what we may think, making a
difference is not hard. Caring for
others comes in many forms. First
of all, it does not require or limit to a certain age.
All it requires is awareness and maybe for a young person like my
friend’s daughter Alison Pablo,
great parents who instill this quality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly7YRC-fOKU
Second, encouraging and inspiring others does not
require much physical effort and sacrifice, sometimes you can even do it while having fun. A good example is Walter Oshiro who often travels to the
Philippines for leisure but while he’s there, he makes it a point to volunteer
or donate to charity organizations down to charity’s simplest form like giving
extra tip to his child tour guide knowing that that child works to help his
family and to support his education.
And last, being a positive influence does not require
monetary wealth, a certain standing in the society or spending a lot of time, sometimes
even by just being who we are, we are already making a difference to others. The story of Modesto Salve is a good example of a person whose sheer hard work
and determination had made a difference not only for himself and his family but to
his own people. And even
now that he’s gone, he will continue to serve as an inspiration to many people
not only in Kalihi which he once
called home but to all who are struggling to find their own ethnic identity and
pride in a foreign land.
Very nice commentary, Theda! I admire immigrants like Modesto Salve who are able to maintain a positive outlook in the face of adversity. Life is not fair – no getting around this - and, as a child of immigrants myself, folks like Mr. Salve were and are my role models! I am retired now and have the luxury of looking back in life. There were individuals who did seemingly small things when I was a child that made me feel special. These personal experiences have motivated me to reach out to children during my travels in developing countries – primarily to children who were doing whatever they could to persevere, including fanning tourists as they ate in the sweltering heat, selling postcards, or serving as local tour guides. These were children who wanted to remain in school, knowing that they would be at a dead end without education A sincere thank you as well as extra compensation for their services was all that it took to show you respected them. (I do regret having missed some opportunities to do this.)
ReplyDeleteAs someone who grew up on the outskirts of Kalihi (in Liliha), I know that you don’t have to go overseas to find folks who are overcoming similar life challenges and who are forging ahead. Imua, Kalihi!
Thanks, Walter and for being the inspiration that you are. Keep doing what is good and loving the life that you live.
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