another rather long... full of thoughts post :)

This morning we left Pennsylvania with the intention of sleeping in Nantucket tonight. However traffic quickly demolished the possibility of making the 8 o' clock ferry. So it was time to replan.

We knew our lovely friend Adam lived in Connecticut, about halfway to the Nan-t. So without a warning we were going to arrive at his house to see what good we could do. On the way there we made a quick stop for gas and a bathroom in New Jersey. I know I've been in New Jersey before, but it was just because I was staying at a hotel in NJ with my school then busing over to NYC. So when we turned off a random 'middle-of-nowhere' looking exit I wasn't expecting much. However I quickly realized that we had stumbled upon a rather busy bit of city. Lots and lots of different kinds of people lined the streets and shops. So many many people. I just kept looking out the window at all the different faces, ethnicities, body shapes, hair do's and clothing styles. Every kind of person seemed to be in that city. And it felt extremely overwhelming.

I kept thinking about how all of those people are just people. Yes they're all different but they live so similarly. They all have families and dreams. They probably work to make money in hopes of reaching their dreams. They probably desire to feel attractive and be confident. They all probably seek after someone's approval, even if it's just their own. They desire to feel important. To feel worth something. To be loved.

So I concluded that everyone seeks after a lot of the same things. But most of the time, even with all those similarities, people never reach out to the people they walk beside on the street. And that seems kind of weird... but oddly true. Especially in crowded areas. Like parts of NJ and NY.

Anyways, we stopped at Wendy's for a bathroom break and were confronted with multiple cleanliness issues and unhappy people. It left me feeling frustrated, unwelcome and anxious to leave. I felt like we were in a dirty city, full of people who were only focused on themselves with no desire to help others. I realized through all those feelings we haven't really been in a city city, so I suppose it's an atmosphere we haven't tackled yet. After we left though we went through the drive-thru and payed for a few people's meals :) I think the cashier thought we were sorta crazy. But I'm glad we were able to shine a little light while we passed through.

I think often times when we are in dark places, where love is not being shown to us, we often just want to escape. To get back to somewhere comfortable. But the only way to solve the problem is by confronting the issue. By directly, purposefully and unconditionally loving those that don't act in love and don't deserve our love. By changing people hearts with the light we have in us. That is how the dark places can be demolished. That is how love will win out.

<33emilyy

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

-Maya Angelou