What Haiti Gave Me
As I rolled down the streets of Port-au-Prince in Haiti, the sights and smells caused me to wonder “How could this be”? Walls of people as far as you can see and destitution in every direction. People were selling and bartering whatever they could—I couldn’t help but notice one man selling a half-full Gatorade bottle.
How could there be such a vast difference in my life and the lives of these Haitians just because we were born into a different culture and circumstance. As I watched the faces of several NFL players on the trip with me, I could tell they were wondering some of the same things. Even though some of them had genuinely grown up in tough situations and poverty, they were getting their eyes opened to how fortunate they really were.
As we all worked together feeding hungry school children and loving on parentless kids in orphanages, the trip to Haiti had a profound effect on my life. But why did we have to come to another country to understand the aspect of serving? To me, the true meaning of leadership is service to others. But that’s hard to find in our culture today. It’s too easy to become complacent and comfortable with where we are.
I have to continue to remind myself that it’s not about me, it’s about those around me. If we could all put this into practice, think about the positive impact it could make on the people around us.
Have you stopped recently to realize how fortunate you are? Could you get involved in a local group that helps those who are less fortunate? Sometimes it’s good to get away, so maybe you could even consider taking a trip like we did.
On every sightseeing trip I’ve taken, on the drive or flight home I’m always left with wonder. But this flight home was different. As I looked out the window of the airplane and thought about the beautiful vision of leadership that Haiti gave me, I wasn’t left with wonder—I was left with resolve.
Link to Huffington Post Article About Our Trip:
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