Zambia, the home of my childhood, where: · In my eyes, poverty was the norm. · My white skin and soft hair was a source of curiosity to the dark skinned, curly haired children, who always wanted to touch me. · We were forced to line the streets and wait for the president to drive by, to show our support. · I could not show my knees in the village but it was OK to pull out your beast to feed your baby, and then forget to tuck it back in. · My play house was a mud hut with a thatched grass roof. · My high school years were marked by war with police road blocks, blackouts from 6pm to 6am, and the sound of fighter planes and bombs. · Wild animals were abundant in the national game parks and often cited closer to town. · My graduation class consisted of thirty students from thirteen different countries. Zambia, where I learned that: · Worship under a tree in a village was no different than praising God in a concrete block building. · All men are equal regardless of race, color, social status and beliefs · Satan and witchcraft are real and, while not to be afraid of, are something to stay away from. · Shoes are not an essential · Life was fragile and death is a part of life. · One cannot judge people or cultures, for while different, one is not better than another. · Almost everything is edible and nothing will kill you. · Being an ‘American’ did not make me better than anyone else. Outside of God and my parents, nothing has influenced my thinking, my character and my values more than Zambia. I thank God that I had the honor of being raised in a country where life was hard, even dangerous at times, where the basic ‘essentials’ were often unavailable, and where material possessions were not as important as people.
With today bringing the close of my A to Z of thankfulness, in thanking God for Zambia, I add a video of her National Anthem. We sang it before every movie, before television began each afternoon and at every funeral and school event. I know it as thoroughly as my own: that of the United States. For, in reality, it is also mine.