Happy Belated Thanks Giving
Thanksgiving was yesterday, so I’m bit late in releasing this message. BUT, it’s never too late to GIVE THANKS is it?
Yesterday I was thinking about the things I am thankful for. Health, family and friends were at the top of my list. However, I’m also very thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to travel around the world, go to university, date beautiful women, start a business, choose my own religion, and change my life when it wasn’t going in the direction I wanted it to.
That’s a lot of things to be thankful for. With that being said, I can sum everything up into one statement:
I am thankful for OPPORTUNITY & PRIVILEGE
Yep, I admit it. I was born with a lot of opportunity. I’m privileged.
No, I wasn’t born rich, but I wasn’t born poor either. My parents come from very humble beginnings and worked their butts off their entire lives.
I didn’t have a college fund. I didn’t receive an inheritance from a deceased family member. But I’ve always had a roof over my head. I don’t know what it’s like to go a day without a meal. Well..that’s not true. I once did a survival course where I had to go 4 days without food. But it wasn’t because I couldn’t afford to eat…Not eating was a my choice.
For others, not eating isn’t a choice but the harsh reality that they have to face everyday.
In retrospect, I’ve complained about some really dumb shit over the years. As a matter of fact, I still whine about some very trivial problems like my 13” inch Macbook Pro being too small, and my 1-year old shoes not looking ‘fresh’ enough for the party. As I said, dumb shit.
About 3 years ago I literally had 20,000 pesos to my name. That’s roughly $6.50USD give or take. But once again, even that was a CHOICE. Burning out my cash and going broke was the choice I made so I could travel, follow my dreams, and live the life I’m currently living.
But that’s what I call being PRIVILEGED! I’m so damn privileged, I can choose if I want to work a fulltime job in Canada or take off to South America and start an entirely new life.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been helping a beautiful, hard-working, Afro-Colombian family that was forcefully displaced by the war in Colombia. They can’t go back to their home town in Cauca because if they do, they will be forced to fight or worse – they could be killed if they refuse.
They are a family of 4 – Walter (the father), Marta (the mother), Joan Sebastian (15 years old) and Jason David (13 years old). They live in a rundown hotel in one of the most dangerous, drug infested neighbourhoods in Medellin called Niquitao. They gather boxes, papers, bottles, and other materials that they sell to recycling companies. With the money they make, they pay for their hotel room they share and for the food they eat.
THEY DID NOT CHOOSE POVERTY
I filmed a short video and Andrew Macia wrote an entire blog post about their story. It is very touching, heart-breaking and inspiring.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR HELP TO GIVE THIS FAMILY A REAL OPPORTUNITY AT LIFE.
