Sawubona - "I see you"
Just finished breakfast with the delegation and opted for a bit more time on the bank of this lazy river. The delegation members appear to be enjoying a bit of R&R before our return to Minnesota.
My thoughts today take me back to E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. I offer this quote from this timeless children’s story; When Wilber recovered from his emotion, he spoke again. “Why did you do all this for me? He asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.”
“You have been my friend,” said Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my web for you because I liked you. After all, what’s life anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”
As we prepare to transition back to our day to day lives and the routines that are so familiar, I have been thinking great deal as to the common thread that has been woven into the AIAIA tapestry of the last twenty-three years. The delegations offer the opportunity to learn many facts about South African history, culture and what are the ongoing challenges and opportunities. As important as all those facts and figures may be, I realize how important it is to be willing to take the experience to a deeper level. As Charlotte reminded Wilber; “ After all, what’s a life anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.” One need not travel to the other side of the world to realize the value of reexamining our beliefs, our opinions and our all too often false assumptions. Unfortunately our world community has often inherited political and religious leadership that simply fail the test of being courageous and inclusive, unable and unwilling to empower true and lasting leadership.
“You have been my friend,” said Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my web for your because I liked you.” In these waning days with my beloved South African cousins, my prayer is that we would be so wise as to keep it as simple as Charlotte.
In closing, I offer this South African greeting, “Sawubona.,” which simply translates, “I see you!” Heaven knows, anyone’s life can stand a little of that…..
Peace,
James Cassidy, President AIAIA