Last week Carl Wilkens came to speak to my class. Before his visit, I had a very basic understanding of the Rwandan genocide -- just dates, rough numbers, definitions of Hutu and Tutsi -- so, in all honesty, I hardly considered it important. But this genocide happened in my own lifetime; the years I associate with my early childhood, others will associate with that. Wilkens really did open my eyes to that piece of history, and I'm thankful for my new appreciation of this history.
You may wonder why Wilkens's visit resonated with me so much. Think of what he has done, and then compare my own experiences. I've never set foot in Rwanda. I've never lived the midst of a genocide. I've never taken on responsibility for an orphanage. On that level, I guess I can't relate to his stories. But I have looked at a situation with positive eyes, and seeing someone else do just that and succeed comforted me. I have had doubts about my optimism. Maybe I'm just stupid and naïve. Especially this week (Warning: Next five sentences may follow "irritating rant" format!) I've been pretty swamped. Yes, I finally got my first batch of college applications turned in, but the next deadline (November 15 for CC, for anyone who's curious) is creeping up fast, and school has not relented in the least. The end of the quarter was just a time for me to find out my current grades and feel the pressure of what marks I have to maintain. Express, one of the choirs I sing in, is starting Christmas Season, so I have 2-and-a-half-hour reheasals every day after school. On top of that, Variety Show auditions are Monday, and with so many different numbers (such as the ones I've just linked) to rehearse I haven't gotten home before 8 p.m. yet this week.
I was just going through blogs on my reader account, and I came across this one. Emily reminded me of Mr. Wilkens's visit, and how inspired I felt after listening to him. I'm gonna emulate Wilkens (very consciously this week, though it wouldn't be such a bad thing to do all the time). I'm going to accept some things that I cannot change and trust that I will reap the best possible results if I work hard. My schedule this week isn't gonna change, but I can get through it, and I can enjoy it if I look at the situation the right way. Thanks, Carl Wilkens, for making this all manageable.
Hi Mel! I felt equally inspired by Mr. Wilken's presentation and I think it is incredibly important to project his positive outlook onto our own lives. He made the best out of a very unfortunate situation. If he can stay positive in the face of adversity, I think everyone has the potential to manage their own less extreme problems.
ReplyDeletep.s. yay Express!
Veeery good message taken from this speech/discourse, Mel. Many people might think, "Alright, Wilkins is a great guy, and he did amazing things for incredibly unfortunate people, buuut...how does that apply to me? How could I use any of his philosophies?" I don't think anyone is coming away with the impression that you think your problems equate those of Wilkins during the genocide in Rwanda, but the fact that you apply his methods to manage your monumentally heavy high-school schedule shows an ability to apply a daunting life philosophy effectively to your own life. Obviously, this is not something most students are worldly enough to apply to their own lives. Very, very commendable.
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