Hi Candy, Thanks for the link. No time to read now, I'm trying to get a few visits in while the house is quiet. You have been busy while I've been away! xox
I've been reading on - have some more pages to read, but as I read, feelings of rage, impotence, grief, shame, run through me like small rivers............
I have friends who have lived, and one even died in Africa, died, It think because of the sheer exhaustion of the need of the children there and trying to reach one, love just one, and help just one by teaching, training in mechanics and art making and marketing (hopes of becoming self sufficient) because they love Africa, they love Africans - they aren't political - they just extend one hand toward one child at a time....the "ones" turned into many....I don't know if they've thought about the politics - how could they without succumbing to some collective guilt for wearing western faces even or collective grief that would cause one to spend day and night crying and hopeless?
You should've seen the one that died - I saw him make a presentation - he said, well, I came in the native dress - and he pulled off his western clothes and underneath had a dirty t-shirt and shorts full of holes and stood before us barefoot raging - " This is the national dress!"
What can WE do besides grieve for all the "reasons" that this has happened to a beautiful contintent, beautiful people, .....we can't go back....WHAT?
3 comments:
Hi Candy,
Thanks for the link.
No time to read now, I'm trying to get a few visits in while the house is quiet.
You have been busy while I've been away!
xox
I've been reading on - have some more pages to read, but as I read, feelings of rage, impotence, grief, shame, run through me like small rivers............
I have friends who have lived, and one even died in Africa, died, It think because of the sheer exhaustion of the need of the children there and trying to reach one, love just one, and help just one by teaching, training in mechanics and art making and marketing (hopes of becoming self sufficient) because they love Africa, they love Africans - they aren't political - they just extend one hand toward one child at a time....the "ones" turned into many....I don't know if they've thought about the politics - how could they without succumbing to some collective guilt for wearing western faces even or collective grief that would cause one to spend day and night crying and hopeless?
You should've seen the one that died - I saw him make a presentation - he said, well, I came in the native dress - and he pulled off his western clothes and underneath had a dirty t-shirt and shorts full of holes and stood before us barefoot raging - "
This is the national dress!"
What can WE do besides grieve for all the "reasons" that this has happened to a beautiful contintent, beautiful people, .....we can't go back....WHAT?
I'm so glad more people are finding their way to that very complex and coherent article.
The Walrus has turned into a great Canadian magazine with an international scope. Candy, you should be submitting articles to them.
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