Living in an Instant Gratification Nation

It's so easy to point fingers, so easy to say that I exude selflessness and empathy, but I know in my heart that that's not always the case and I am just as much to blame for this increasingly self-absorbed nation as any other selfish, possession-consumed, superficial citizen of the United States. However, I do think that I am a bit different now, seeing as I actually recognize that I am a selfish, possession-consumed, superficial person. And if it hadn't been for my sister, I honestly have no idea if I ever would have realized that. That there are far greater struggles in the world than losing a contact or getting a B on a test that I had studied pretty hard for. Well, it's true. It may sound like I used to be some ignorant fool, but think about it. How many times have you gotten stuck in traffic or ruined a pricey shirt and literally thought the world was ending? Yeah, not even close to ending. Do you have any idea how incredibly blessed you are? Probably not. I just hope it doesn't take your sister moving to Rwanda for two and half years with the Peace Corps for you to come to grips with it.

For me, it did. That's my sister there in the picture, and I'm pretty sure you can figure out which one she is. She lives in a part of Africa (Rwanda) that's best known for the extreme genocide they experienced in the 90's. You know the one I'm talking about? The one where the United States pretended not to notice. Hundreds of thousands of people were brutally murdered, and families were torn apart and left with nothing more to live for. To this day, feelings regarding this incident are raw, and many struggling souls are still looking for a sense of direction and a source of healing. Clearly, I do not know struggle; they do. They've seen images that no horror film could ever even begin to depict. And yet, they press onward. They don't let it get them down. Instead they live, and they live to the fullest.

And they live life to the fullest despite having no running water and no sturdy, reliable home. Oh and how could I forgot? No grossly overabundant supply of food to hoard. Rather than living for all of these amenities, they live for each other and for the moment that lies right in front of them. To them, instant gratification is that overwhelming sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing someone else benefit from something you've done for them. Wow, that's humbling.

We could really learn something from these delicate people. From the gentle hands of the elderly, to the excitement of the small children who want nothing more than to be loved or noticed by anyone who visits their villages. My sister learned this as soon as she walked through her village the first time and found a line of children parading behind her with such a tremendous sense of pride and joy, especially when she would take the time to look back at them and flash them a smile or even stop and play a quick game with them. Yes; life can be simple, if we let it be. But we have to be willing to struggle.