Reflections:

           After a week spent in the Beautiful catastrophe (Meru) of my childhood dwelling, I have come to realize that everywhere you go people are innately all the same. There are certain distinguishing factors that the Crito Dialogues have introduced in order to discern us from the animal kingdom. The most prevalent byproduct being class distinction. Ever since the dawn of a “sound-mind” Civilization, humans have tried to achieve a Utopian society. I strongly believe; and this coming from an optimist, utopia can never be achieved. Now you ask why? It’s Very simple, human nature. My nimble opinion is, Utopia is what is readily referred to as heaven or if you’re a fan of the fat bold guy, nirvana. Lets say, you were to try to accomplish this daunting task. It would require the total eradication of class difference, poverty being the emphasis. Sounds easy right? Yes and No. Simply stated, if there is no lower class the upper class would also seize to exist. In it’s purest form, the United States gets closest without getting close at all to achieving this. Capitalism or even Socialism alone is disastrous. But it’s a healthy mixer of both that can uphold some sense of the Social Contract….Laissez-Faire with a sprinkle of Marxism. Chyea

The Road Ahead:

Three years absent from the Tourist Mecca I once called home for Nine years of my childhood, I find myself once again navigating the crowded market places, Watching the local people, Listening to the music, Smelling the delightful Kenyan cuisines and occasionally making a stop to indulge on a few distinctive treats. Most Importantly carrying along the work my parents started, Hope International Trust Ministries…see you Kenya my friends.  

Humble begginings: Motives of Motivations

Perfection is not a descriptive word people readily employ when recitating about their parental unit. Perfection: this is the disaster I have had to endure for nineteen going on twenty years. Not alcoholic, abusive, or even absent parents other kids my age experience, but the most perfect two beings God could conjure up for an undeserving son. Let me give you a quick synopsis so you may better understand the horror I have gone through. Anyone who encounters my father can only describe him one way, the true definition of humility. Having risen from extreme poverty, he dedicated his life to God at an early age and became an ordained minister. He later moved to the United States in search of greener pastures, in a few years he earned his Master’s in Divinity from Seattle University and currently works in three hospitals as a Chaplain. In all his success if you ask him what is your most prevalent achievement in life, he would answer something to the effect of: watching my family grow and flourish. Feeling bad for me yet, well my tragic up bringing doesn’t end there. My dear mother tough yet just; a modern day mother Theresa.  Although she didn’t grow up as poverty stricken as my father, I assure you life wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine (only love cultivated this). It’s Fredrick Douglas who said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” My mom a highly accomplished High-school English teacher in Kenya, Moved with her two Kids to the States where she was forced to start from the bottom. She worked as a Janitor at the Church we attended, talk about humility huh. Fast-forward to today, her uniform a tad bit more purple, her mop and bucket; exchanged for a stethoscope and a sphygmomanometer. Through her struggles progress followed.  She is currently finishing her Masters in Nursing from one of the top nursing schools in the country, University of Washington. Her future plans, to return to Kenya and work with the non-profit, together they founded year’s earlier in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is crippling but not overpowering my people. Now, being quite the rebellious youngster with the heart of a lion I am, I surely didn’t make things easier for my parents. Lets put it this way, when you’re surrounded by perfection in mere general terms of course, you really don’t have an excuse to give on why you failed at life. Welcome to my world…