We saw him on the ground. A group of men watching. A car had hit this boy and left him lying there crying in pain. Miguel went over to make sure he was ok. I stood by watching the child writhe on the ground. The men began to disperse, losing interest in the scene. The boy stood, hurt and upset. He had no home. He had no family. He had no mother to kiss his scrapes. He stood there alone and helpless. I walked over to him and put my arm around his shoulders. At the feel of my touch he crumbled into my arms crying harder than ever. He yearned for affection. He wanted to know that another human cared about him and that he wasn't completely alone. As I held him I smelled the chemical running through his body. Huffing glue at no more than eight years old. When he heard the sirens of the Red Cross he clung to me crying out that he didn't want to go. I calmed him and we sat together on the curb while the Red Cross checked him out. he was fine, so they left and we were left with a hurt child with no home and no family. I was panicking with no idea of what to do while Miguel gave him a few cordobas. We left and I felt like I had been punched in the heart.
This experience along with many others on this trip were overwhelming to me. I have seen so much poverty, pain, and suffering. I know I cannot change and fix it all, but the best I can do is work on a smaller scale to empower people that will hopefully cause greater change.
I don't know how I will do this. There are so many communities in so many places that need so many things, but it has begun to put seeds of thought in my mind of what I want to do.
On a more personal level, throughout this trip I have become more Cassidy. I have learned to be vulnerable, how to laugh at myself, how to be me despite what others think, how to have more grace, patience, and acceptance with others, and now to listen.
I have never listened so much as I have on this trip and after listening to all of the stories and ideas I have been able to begin taking who I have become and pairing that with what I want to do to change the harsh reality people live in. I still have no idea how and where I will put my efforts, but this trip has made it more clear to me than ever that this is what I am supposed to do.
