This I do Believe...truly

This I Believe is a writing assignment that my journalism class is participating in. We are to recall a personal experience we had that shaped a view or opinion we hold valuable today. We read many sample essays and accounts from other students. They were very interesting, but none of them reflected a personal experience I had. Quite honestly I couldn't think of anything to write. I've been very fortunate in that I haven't experienced terrible tragedy in my life. I've had a very wonderful and fulfilling life, but I didn't feel like I had such an event that profoundly impacted my views and beliefs.



I was looking through a bunch of pictures from a family vacation years ago. Most of the pictures were taken on a small Venezuelan Island. As I began sorting through the pictures, I began recalling my travels to that small island. We had been driving for a very long time through a breathtaking mountainous terrain along the coastline. It was natural beauty at its finest. As soon as we arrived in the center of the town, I wanted the taxi driver to turn around and bring us back to our cruise boat. The poverty was devastating. There were stray dogs running all over the streets and frail, dirty children hiding in dumpsters. Many homeless people were finding refuge in building ruins. I couldn't believe this site. More prominently, I couldn't understand why so many of the towns people were happy and friendly and jubilent when some had absolutely nothing. I wasn't mature enough to understand.



But now when I look back on this experience, I comprehend the townspeople's emotions. Instead of crying over how poor they were, the townspeople were celebrating life and all the beautiful things it had to offer them. This occurance taught me that regardless of all the things I don't have, there are many things, tangible or not, that I do have. It was so difficult to comprehend something this deep when finances have never been a struggle in one's life. But now I am grateful for everything I own and every experience that I will be priveleged with.