Taking on this journey has become one of the best experiences I have ever undergone. I never expected to be surrounded by a group of professionals and a humble community. I never expected to be here in the first place. To be honest, I did not know what I was getting myself into, but it goes to show, that the best memories are made from surprises.
The beauty behind India, if we took a second to listen to it, are the sounds and stories that surround every individual, place, and thing. This includes the stories that have been listened to in our organization visits, and the stories from the community itself. Our trip has been filled with bus rides, lectures, presentations, and even wifi worries, that we may have missed the small details that make India a beautiful place.
We become so busy and worried about everything, that we forget to listen to the world around us. If we just took five minutes to listen, what sounds and stories would we imagine and hear? What lives would we change? How would it change us? That is what I have learned from this experience; to hear the "music" that people live within and reflect back to our lives. To hear the laughter of children and imagine why they laugh. To hear the sound of a honk and wonder what's the rush. To hear the stories within us and understand the passion we have towards social work. Just like music has the story, beats and melody that makes it beautiful, India does as well.
Everyone and everything have made music that we can be a part of. We can challenge it and it can challenge us. So far we have listened to the successes of different organizations, such as Annapurna Pariwar, and Srujna, but what else does the community and environment tell? What are the melodies and lyrics?
So I question, what is behind the laughter of a child, the honk of a rickshaw, the sound of the rain, or even ourselves? What stories have we found in India, besides women empowerment, domestic violence, patriarchy? Have we listened to what does not have a voice, but makes a beautiful sound and story? As social workers we are driven to make social change, that we interrupt the music and forget the story. The community is rich in music, have we listened?
-Veronica Gomez
Beautiful words and beautiful pictures! It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of a city like Mumbai or the emotionally heavy subject matters of the places that we have visited. All this makes us at times forget to notice the beauty in the surroundings we find ourselves in. When accustomed to American standards, it’s so easy to quickly focus on all the things lacking here that we often overlook the things that they are strong in: social capital and the appreciation of the small things. I personally focused on the smiles I saw everywhere we went. I always made a point to look for smiles and the laughter of the people we encountered. I found smiles everywhere we went, regardless of the circumstances or the environment. In particular, I remember the children I found playing everywhere we went and the innocence in the way they enjoyed life. Whether it was sliding down a hill of dirt or playing cricket with a raggedy paddle and ball, they were all enjoying the moment and those around them. You bring a great point in also listening to the sound of the environment we find ourselves in and what it has to say. Can’t say that I have done that often in my travels, but your beautiful words have inspired me to do just that from now on. I now realize that perhaps I have been missing on an important aspect of the experience. Thanks Veronica!
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