Wisdom from Vietnam

            Following the months from my time invested in Vietnam for my international group project involving the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, I have thought accordingly about all of the lesson I learned while in country. For instance, to be a resident of the United States, I am very well lucky to have the life I have, even with the things I wish and aspire to change. There are many things people in well developed countries complain about, even to the point of rendering them as "first-world problems," when in honesty your tongue should taste bitter to even propose such problems are catastrophic. Everyone encounters hardships and life dilemmas, just as we also strive to reach our goals and advance onward. Society is a fluctuating sea-saw: there are people who truly do live high maintenance lifestyles and there are those who have so much less than what a middle-class American has. From all the things we demand, expect, purchase, expense, protest, and complain about among other things, as a society we must stop fussing over the smallest of inconveniences and focus better on life itself. Social and economic inequality is inevitable: there is no simple remedy. Rather than simply existing, we must start living our lives and be thankful for what our lives grant us.

A composition of patience infused with beauty as bestowed by Mother Nature to be seen by the world in Hanoi. 25 May 2018

            Going to Vietnam and seeing this country continue to rebuild itself from the horrible things the United States contributed towards during the war was difficult to accept in person, yet seeing the resilience of the Vietnamese people as the days and years progress was simply remarkable. Our guide, Lamh, enlightened the group with exceptional hospitality during our stay in Ho Chi Minh City. From navigating around the language barrier with Vietnamese-English (and vice versa) interpretations, timeliness, attention and security for our group, and hospitality on an untraditional level, the Walt Disney customer service department is biting their nails. Once we enact more kindness within our hearts and put a conclusion to international bickering, then we will start living our lives with more harmony towards and among those who are culturally and ideologically different than from ourselves. With advancing compliments to Lamh, I would like to forward two pieces of his wisdom I learned from him, as derived from Vietnamese proverbs. We don't need to make our lives as difficult as we do. This scheme and expectation of "instant delivery" is really just bogging us down and delaying our own quality of life. Let's allow today to be a good day, so tomorrow may be even better.

"More friends mean less enemies."

"When your belly skin is tight, your eyelid skin is loose."

- Lamh, our tour guide and in-country host during our stay in Ho Chi Minh City, via Vietnamese proverbs