what makes you happy for most people that go with the answer of spending time
that go with the answer of spending time
that go with the answer of spending time with their family or friends but would
with their family or friends but would
with their family or friends but would you be as content with your life if you
you be as content with your life if you
you be as content with your life if you didn’t have the material things that you
didn’t have the material things that you
didn’t have the material things that you do but people think of developing
do but people think of developing
do but people think of developing countries there’s an overarching theme
countries there’s an overarching theme
countries there’s an overarching theme of pity when asked about my summer study
of pity when asked about my summer study
of pity when asked about my summer study abroad trip to Ghana most people began
abroad trip to Ghana most people began
abroad trip to Ghana most people began the conversation by asking me what my
the conversation by asking me what my
the conversation by asking me what my service was like this felt really
service was like this felt really
service was like this felt really strange to me I guess it was coming back
strange to me I guess it was coming back
strange to me I guess it was coming back from a place where I’d been given so
from a place where I’d been given so
from a place where I’d been given so much to return home and feel that all I
much to return home and feel that all I
much to return home and feel that all I was doing was saying how I’d help people
was doing was saying how I’d help people
was doing was saying how I’d help people there this confliction didn’t just begin
there this confliction didn’t just begin
there this confliction didn’t just begin when I got home but started during
when I got home but started during
when I got home but started during conversations with my friends and
conversations with my friends and
conversations with my friends and service leaders in Ghana we were
service leaders in Ghana we were
service leaders in Ghana we were confronted about taking pictures with
confronted about taking pictures with
confronted about taking pictures with the kids has to be respectful that they
the kids has to be respectful that they
the kids has to be respectful that they were simply living their lives and
were simply living their lives and
were simply living their lives and earning an education not their
earning an education not their
earning an education not their respective coals to be displayed over
respective coals to be displayed over
respective coals to be displayed over the Internet once explained it seems so
the Internet once explained it seems so
the Internet once explained it seems so obvious no one would like to be gawked
obvious no one would like to be gawked
obvious no one would like to be gawked at will simply living their lives and
at will simply living their lives and
at will simply living their lives and happily for that matter there’s a
happily for that matter there’s a
happily for that matter there’s a paradox when it comes to service on one
paradox when it comes to service on one
paradox when it comes to service on one hand I’ve been told that it can it
hand I’ve been told that it can it
hand I’ve been told that it can it should be completely selfless and
should be completely selfless and
should be completely selfless and knocked purely for assisting others
knocked purely for assisting others
knocked purely for assisting others while participating in service in
while participating in service in
while participating in service in another country however I was faced with
another country however I was faced with
another country however I was faced with the dilemma of the white Savior complex
the dilemma of the white Savior complex
the dilemma of the white Savior complex which is a pattern throughout history
which is a pattern throughout history
which is a pattern throughout history showing how privileged individuals often
showing how privileged individuals often
showing how privileged individuals often take advantage of service opportunities
take advantage of service opportunities
take advantage of service opportunities in order to say that they have saved
in order to say that they have saved
in order to say that they have saved people who are conventionally less
people who are conventionally less
people who are conventionally less privileged and seemingly unhappy with
privileged and seemingly unhappy with
privileged and seemingly unhappy with their lives I even questioned my choice
their lives I even questioned my choice
their lives I even questioned my choice to do service a few times wondering if
to do service a few times wondering if
to do service a few times wondering if my presence there was unconsciously
my presence there was unconsciously
my presence there was unconsciously selfish
selfish
selfish did the teachers even want my help and
did the teachers even want my help and
did the teachers even want my help and was I making a difference in the
was I making a difference in the
was I making a difference in the children’s lives when it came to
children’s lives when it came to
children’s lives when it came to discussing the the white Savior complex
discussing the the white Savior complex
discussing the the white Savior complex my peers and I had to be much more
my peers and I had to be much more
my peers and I had to be much more critical about previous notions we had
critical about previous notions we had
critical about previous notions we had of community service it was kind of a
of community service it was kind of a
of community service it was kind of a complicated thing to wrap my mind around
complicated thing to wrap my mind around
complicated thing to wrap my mind around because previously I’d been so focused
because previously I’d been so focused
because previously I’d been so focused on volunteer
on volunteer
on volunteer for the sake of earning some service
for the sake of earning some service
for the sake of earning some service hours but when it came to actually
hours but when it came to actually
hours but when it came to actually teaching kids in a foreign country was a
teaching kids in a foreign country was a
teaching kids in a foreign country was a completely different story being thrown
completely different story being thrown
completely different story being thrown into many conversations about white
into many conversations about white
into many conversations about white privilege and the true motives behind
privilege and the true motives behind
privilege and the true motives behind community service was uncomfortable but
community service was uncomfortable but
community service was uncomfortable but necessary for me to better understand
necessary for me to better understand
necessary for me to better understand other cultures the country did not
other cultures the country did not
other cultures the country did not change while I was there but I my
change while I was there but I my
change while I was there but I my perspective on it changed completely
perspective on it changed completely
perspective on it changed completely over three weeks when I first arrived I
over three weeks when I first arrived I
over three weeks when I first arrived I saw a place that was underdeveloped
saw a place that was underdeveloped
saw a place that was underdeveloped unorganized and dirty but as time went
unorganized and dirty but as time went
unorganized and dirty but as time went on I spent days in the city or in the
on I spent days in the city or in the
on I spent days in the city or in the school outside of Accra the seemingly
school outside of Accra the seemingly
school outside of Accra the seemingly unattractive parts of the country
unattractive parts of the country
unattractive parts of the country diminished and its beauty overpowered we
diminished and its beauty overpowered we
diminished and its beauty overpowered we found beauty in the most backwards ways
found beauty in the most backwards ways
found beauty in the most backwards ways like at the cape coast castle a
like at the cape coast castle a
like at the cape coast castle a breathtaking structure with a view of
breathtaking structure with a view of
breathtaking structure with a view of the ocean and a horribly ugly history of
the ocean and a horribly ugly history of
the ocean and a horribly ugly history of slave trade hidden beneath its
slave trade hidden beneath its
slave trade hidden beneath its staircases what I came to realize was
staircases what I came to realize was
staircases what I came to realize was that beauty is all about perspective
that beauty is all about perspective
that beauty is all about perspective it’s not nearly as black and white as
it’s not nearly as black and white as
it’s not nearly as black and white as it’s made out to be I often feel that
it’s made out to be I often feel that
it’s made out to be I often feel that material things are excessive and
material things are excessive and
material things are excessive and frankly occupied too much of our
frankly occupied too much of our
frankly occupied too much of our attention besides benefits to health and
attention besides benefits to health and
attention besides benefits to health and education technology has rapidly altered
education technology has rapidly altered
education technology has rapidly altered human connection recently I was on a
human connection recently I was on a
human connection recently I was on a college tour and when the tour guide
college tour and when the tour guide
college tour and when the tour guide left our group for a few minutes every
left our group for a few minutes every
left our group for a few minutes every single kid pulled out their iPhone no
single kid pulled out their iPhone no
single kid pulled out their iPhone no one talked no one introduced themselves
one talked no one introduced themselves
one talked no one introduced themselves and it wasn’t until later that day well
and it wasn’t until later that day well
and it wasn’t until later that day well forced to face each other at a table
forced to face each other at a table
forced to face each other at a table where we brave enough to make
where we brave enough to make
where we brave enough to make conversation I began thinking how rare
conversation I began thinking how rare
conversation I began thinking how rare this was to happen in Ghana after a
this was to happen in Ghana after a
this was to happen in Ghana after a class with dozens of kids bouncing
class with dozens of kids bouncing
class with dozens of kids bouncing around the courtyard unafraid to take my
around the courtyard unafraid to take my
around the courtyard unafraid to take my hand
hand
hand a young girl who I never met before led
a young girl who I never met before led
a young girl who I never met before led me to her friends and taught me a game
me to her friends and taught me a game
me to her friends and taught me a game even when speaking to adults the
even when speaking to adults the
even when speaking to adults the conversations were never inhibited by
conversations were never inhibited by
conversations were never inhibited by technology or the urge to pull out a
technology or the urge to pull out a
technology or the urge to pull out a cell phone this wasn’t even a matter of
cell phone this wasn’t even a matter of
cell phone this wasn’t even a matter of wealth and being able to have phones but
wealth and being able to have phones but
wealth and being able to have phones but rather a difference in values and ways
rather a difference in values and ways
rather a difference in values and ways of interaction what defines happiness
of interaction what defines happiness
of interaction what defines happiness that is on some level individual opinion
that is on some level individual opinion
that is on some level individual opinion but it’s not assumptions made about
but it’s not assumptions made about
but it’s not assumptions made about under proof underprivileged communities
under proof underprivileged communities
under proof underprivileged communities play a part in how we compare
play a part in how we compare
play a part in how we compare contentment and
contentment and
contentment and our lives I may never be able to know
our lives I may never be able to know
our lives I may never be able to know what it’s like to be in someone else’s
what it’s like to be in someone else’s
what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes but I can at least work towards
shoes but I can at least work towards
shoes but I can at least work towards recognizing the beauty and our
recognizing the beauty and our
recognizing the beauty and our differences and I hope that when you
differences and I hope that when you
differences and I hope that when you look at an image like this you can see
look at an image like this you can see
look at an image like this you can see that there’s much more to it than what
that there’s much more to it than what
that there’s much more to it than what meets the eye
meets the eye
meets the eye thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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