Prompt:Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
I slide my thumb in front of the water gushing from the hose as to propel the water so that my six year old cousin “Las” may run under with screeching delight. The profile of the lemon and orange trees shelter us from much of the sweltering heat all too common in the summers of Erbil, Kurdistan. Inevitably Las grows bored of playing with the hose and asks that we might play soccer. I find the soccer ball well concealed behind one of the many lush orchid plants encapsulated within my late Grandfather’s garden. As I play soccer with Las my mind begins to wander and I find myself once again ruminating over a little boy I met named Sadiq.
I first met Sadiq when my uncle was showing me around his small appliance shop in one of the main Bazaars in the city. He was likely to have been seven or eight at the time. Not much older than Las. Sadiq was very poor. Sadiq is a Syrian Kurd who fled from the pain and suffering which ISIS intended to bring down upon him and those like him. Sadiq is also an orphan. His mother and father were killed by ISIS. We have no knowledge of what has become of his brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents. Sadiq survives principally off of the goodwill from strangers as well as friendly shopkeepers like my uncle. At night He rests his weary soul upon the cold of the tiled Bazaar floor. In the Bazaar Sadiq also sells balloons to kids, kids who still have their parents. Sadiq has never been able to go to school and it is very unlikely he ever will be given the opportunity to go to school. Sadiq has no future. No opportunities.
Only upon meeting Sadiq did I ever truly grasp just how fortunate I really am. I realized that I was not taking full advantage of all the opportunities which have been presented to me. Sadiq will probably never be able to impact the world in a meaningful or positive way but I surely can and I must. As well as that I have been committing an injustice upon myself and all children like Sadiq because I fail to utilize all resources at my disposal to improve my own life and the lives of others in need. After meeting Sadiq I feel extremely motivated to improve my own life and the lives of others. When faced with an obstacle to overcome I never ask “What would Jesus do?” or “What would Mohammed do?” Rather I ask “What would Sadiq do?” What would Sadiq do if given the chance to redo his entire life, this time in my shoes? Sadiq would certainly get a college education, become the best version of himself, never fear anything, never squander an opportunity and would change the world for the better. So shall I. Sadiq has changed the lens by which I view the world.