People

Last night hubby and I went to a show put on by a group called, Up With People. www.upwithpeople.org It's a group of 90 people aged 16-29 years from countries all over the world. They commit to six months of going to places to provide needed volunteer services to different towns in different countries for a week and then cap off their stay with a show of songs and dance. I had heard of this group years ago, maybe they visited another town that I lived in. However when I read that they were coming to the Rio Grande Valley, I pondered about offering to be a host family. At the time hubby was working a temporary full-time job and that would not have been conducive to hosting one of the group, so we did not become a host family.

Last night at the show one of host families happened to sit next to me, so it was neat to witness the pride that they felt in watching their guests in the show. The Up With People group put on quite a show with uplifting songs and rousing dance performances. Many of the lyrics were very positive and a common theme was You can make a difference. Reach out your hands to another. Smile, it's universally known as a connection between people, regardless of language or dress.

In today's local newspaper was an article about a couple that have travelled to over 100 countries. They noted that people all over the world just want to provide for their children and make a change in "their world." Their world may only encompass a village a few miles wide, but people still want the best for their children and family. When I travelled around the United States back in 1980, it was an adventure for me. I did it alone and camped in a tent. Most of the areas I visited, I had never seen before in my life, namely mountains and desert. I had spent all of my life to that point in Wisconsin and Minnesota, land of lakes, trees and hills with small towns every 5-15 miles or so. On this trip, when I got to the Southwest and found no houses, much less towns for miles and miles, I often wondered "Why would anyone want to live here?" But then I realized that visitors traveling through Wisconsin and Minnesota in the dead of winter would ask the same question. Maybe they would ask that question in the summer too, with trees encompassing your view and mosquitoes biting.

We, in the United States are so fortunate to have this big country to freely travel and see different terrains and sights. We have choices on where to live and who to live close by. Children do not have choices on where they live as their parents make that decision, but so many adults become accustomed to living in a certain place and never venture to another area, either to live or visit. So it's the familiar or the family that determines why anyone would want to live here or there.

Me, I have the characteristic of wanderlust. I bet those 90 people in the Up With People have that same characteristic. However, they have another important characteristic, compassion. The compassion for others regardless of language or dress. Compassion, to feel for others and offer aid and assistance. What an awesome combination, compassion and wanderlust. What a world-changing combination!