Reaching Out

I borrowed this book from the library yesterday. When i first saw it at the new arrivals, i passed it over thinking it's another of those marriage prep books, lol. When the other new arrivals didn't excite, i took it up and read the blurb. And i was surprised that "Me to We" is actually a philosophy shared by a pair of brothers, one that redefines success and happiness by turning the focus away from "me" toward "we", as in our communities, our nation and the world.

The brothers, Craig & Marc Kielburger, founded the Free The Children, an organisation devoted to the cause of children helping children through education. It's an inspiring read. Craig was only 12 years old when his life changing moment came. He felt indignant after reading a newspaper article on the murder of a 12 year old boy who was sold to slavery at 4, received his freedom at 12, and was crusading against child labour before he was murdered. This led to him researching the issue, recruiting volunteers and starting Free The Children (he was 12 years old mind you). He wrote petitions, made speeches, travelled to other parts of the world to learn more about the plight of children, and spoke with VVIPs.

His brother Marc is a Harvard and Oxford graduate and yet he chose the road less travelled. He wrote:

"I am humbled to be able to do this work on a daily basis. Unlike my friends working on Wall Street, I don't have a $5000 watch. My $100 model works great. I don't dine in five-star restaurants every night. And I still do make spaghetti making canned spaghetti sauce. But I can look in the mirror at the end of the day and see myself smiling back. I'm simply happier helping other people."

One contributor to the book is Kim Phuc. Her name may not be familiar but i'm sure her picture is.

In this famous picture on the Vietnam war, she is the 9 year old girl running naked on the street after being severely burned on her back by a napalm attack. It took her years to heal from the physical and emotional scars. In 1997, she founded the Kim Foundation, a non-profit group that provides funds for medical assistance to children who are victims of war and terrorism. She wrote:

"I still can't look at the picture, not even today. It hurts too much........................
I could have stayed frozen in time, forever the Girl in the Picture, forever the victim. But I no longer run away, and I am no longer the victim. It was the photograph that saved my life, but it was my reaching out to others that finally convinced me it was a life worth living."

Well, i am only at Chap 2 of the book but am touched to read of these very personal journeys from Me to We. Being touched is one thing; living out the philosophy is definitely another ;-)