A feeble, outstretched hand. Tattered clothing. Barefoot against the scalding pavement under the brilliant, July sun. A stomach yearning for a single grain of food. Perplexed eyes filled with tears of sorrow and immense pain. Alone.
Travelling to India at the tender age of seven, changed my perspective on life as a whole and opened my eyes to its harsh realities. As I wandered about my normal route to my grandfather's store, I glanced at an image that seemed surreal. Through the midst of all the bustling and hectic humdrum of city life, my eye caught a glimpse of "the boy." I could hardly absorb the extreme sight I had just witnessed. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared into those of "the boy."
I could not wrap my mind around the fact that we were both the same age, yet we lived lifestyles that were on polar extremes of the spectrum. However, I was quickly parted from these thoughts as my mom hurriedly called my name to cross the intersection. Just before I stepped into the intersection, I turned and glanced back at "the boy" one final time. It was an image I knew I would not be able to forget for a lifetime. My mind was fixed on staying behind to help "the boy," whether it was by giving him money or personally cooking food to bring to him. Unfortunately, being only seven years of age, these tasks were beyond my capabilities and I was unwillingly dragged across the street and away from "the boy." I was devastated and miserable. For the first time in my life, I had been placed out of my safe, sheltered suburban lifestyle and in the middle of someone else's reality. It was then when I realized, that in the future I want to dedicate my life to helping these people overcome poverty.
As I grew older, I discovered that in my mind "the boy" not only symbolized the child I saw on the street that day, but its meaning extended to represent other poverty-stricken third world countries. My passion for this matter grew immensely, persuading my decision to pursue a career in medicine. Since then, it has become my dream to be able to travel to these disease ridden and undernourished countries to use my knowledge to treat their medical conditions, in hopes of opening doors for them to pursue their own dreams.
Why do I do what I do? Because dreams are the windows of the world and in my dream I envision a world where not being able to attain the simple necessities of life (food, water, shelter) due to insufficient healthcare is not an obstacle for children and adults alike, to be able to achieve their dreams.
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