Babel

Dear China,

What’s your story? You have thousands of years of history that I can’t even begin to comprehend and even in the “here and now”, any conclusion I seem to draw is quickly overridden.

You hold massive cities and massive apartment buildings that seem to touch the sky. They are homes to millions, your streets home to millions more. I want to know your people, I want to hear their stories. Some have succeeded and some are struggling. All have a story, and I want to listen. But there’s this language that stands in the way. {Curse you Babel.} I know that your people have hopes and dreams, lives and families, love and war raging inside, but since I don’t know what they speak it is easy to build a natural barrier. It is easy to forget that they too are human. It is easier to do nothing when you don’t know, than when you are informed and then have a choice.

To be roaming down the streets of NYC and see a boy wandering, screaming for his mother;

I have a choice to assist, or not. I can do something about the situation because I understand.

To be roaming down the streets of Beijing and see a boy wandering, screaming in Chinese with a sorrowful look on his face.

How do I know that he is lost or merely playing with his friends on the street? It is far easier to pass by and hope for the best.

China, I know you are going to teach me a lot very quickly, but sometimes there are things that I just want to know now… like your language. I don’t want to take the easy road, I want to understand. Unfortunately I have this thing working against me where basically learning your language is the hardest thing ever. So to you, China, I sing a great song that I grew up with, from the wise words of the creators of Disney's Tarzan (and Phil Collins)

"Whatever you do, I'll do it too
Show me everything and tell me how
It all means something
And yet nothing to me.

I can see there's so much to learn
It's all so close and yet so far
I see myself as people see me
Oh, I just know there's something bigger out there

I wanna know, can you show me?
I wanna know about these strangers like me
Tell me more, please show me
Something's familiar about these strangers like me "

I realize I’m coming from America, where life is so incredibly fast paced, so I’m willing to slow down for you. I’m already learning things such as how

tears, laughter, and a smile are universal.

I’m ready for lesson #2.

And China, no matter what, know that I love you.

Sincerely yours,

*kayla marie