I am, because I have

I am, because I have

As the equatorial atmosphere hijacked the plane, I sat strapped to my seat, sweating and watching Madonna’s documentary I Am Because We Are.

The title is so powerful.  One in, all in. It’s real community spirit. I reassured myself, if the plane split in half and plummeted back to earth, we’d all go together. Again, one in, all in. Even first class.

The people in the film are inspirational. I was intrigued with their situation. If you’re not familiar, Malawi is a nation of orphans. A country who’s parents have perished from an AIDS epidemic. Children, responsible for children.  Babies, raising babies. It was heartbreaking.

Naturally, my mind – apart from being consumed with thoughts of a phantasmagorical mid-air disaster – turned to my mini men. How on earth would they survive in a world with no grown ups?

For instance, Chicky can’t turn the jug on to make his two minute noodles, let alone build a hut for his 10 brothers and sisters to live in.

As a child, you wake up each morning greeted with a familiar smile, a cuddle and a plate with Vegemite soldiers, before being sent off to school.

Imagine waking up, the floor is crawling with insects, and you remember as quickly as you forgot the night before, your mum and dad are gone.

Your little brother and sister need feeding, god knows what with, and school is in the next village.

The Malawian children are amazing people. They have created communities of support and life from very little.

There is no facade for these people to hide behind. How do we experience wealth without opening our wallet or wardrobe?

How do we experience community without communal living brought about by chaos?

I haven’t been to Malawi or any other impoverished nation yet.  What I saw on that bumpy plane ride home captured my conscience.

From the editing of the documentary it seemed the children were coping, interspersed with moments of staring into the distance, perhaps wondering if this life is normal.

To start with, we need to stop living to have – instead, live because we are.

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One response to “I am, because I have”

  1. I think sadly most gay will be too busy jerking off over the new shopping centre in Sydney to care about such stuff, there is nothing we can do for them because such things are not on the agenda of homosexual men. Sad.