The Power of Us

I was determined to document my experiences as a Fellow but this has been more challenging than I imagined. It has been over three months since I moved to the US and already, I have incredible stories to share. For the first time though, living each experience to the fullest and reflecting on it has taken precedence over merely reproducing it on paper. Blogging has been and remains my outlet of choice, but in the face of discovering a new place and myself, my subconscious replaced chronicling with truly 'experiencing'.

Today, after a while, I feel the familiar tug to write. I'm brimming with thoughts and harbor the irrational fear that if I don't process them, I'll lose them forever. So, I dig through a web of memories from the past few months to highlight one that I felt was extremely powerful; one that I knew I'd write about eventually.

Less than a month into my fellowship, on Feb 27, I had the pleasure of cooking an Indian meal for Yusuke Miki, a Japanese fellow at the USCCD. Well, technically, it was more heating than cooking, but I was excited about sharing my culture nonetheless (#butterchickenFTW). It had only been a few days since he began his fellowship and I loved hearing about his country, family and plans for the future. At one point, I found myself answering questions about Des Moines and Iowa like I'd been living here for years. Information about Walgreens, Rootdowns, Crab Rangoon, Downtown DSM and Walnut Street poured out of my mouth with ease, mixed with a tinge of pride and belonging. I realized in that moment that the unknown world I had plunged headfirst into was starting to become my own. (Anyone with a traveler's soul can relate to and appreciate this feeling).

Coincidentally, a documentary on the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami was airing that night and we both sat down to watch it. Seeing the series of events unfold and learning about the massive destruction they left in their wake was an intense experience. But perhaps if I had been watching it alone it might not have impacted me as strongly as it did watching it with someone who'd experienced the tragedy firsthand. Yusuke's reactions and comments made the images I was watching on TV real. Tangible. It put into perspective how such disasters, both man-made and natural, are perceived and understood. Often, statistics are just numbers and we forget that actual people endure unimaginable pain and misfortune because of something that is out of their control. Often, we don't realize the role we play in extending moral, financial or emotional support. Not stemming from guilt, but from the realization that we're all human and by virtue of that, equally susceptible and accountable to one another.

These thoughts were reiterated when, post the tragic Boston bombing, the images below went viral on the internet. Granted, they don't change the situation or undo the damage but they do acknowledge that we're all in it together; that messages of love will always outweigh, undermine and overpower messages of hatred.