108 Hellos
One of the many important
things I learned while at Cape Town was how a simple hello could change the
world. The kindness of people in Cape Town was like no other. Why could it not
be the same in the states? I mean, some people are kind but not all. The same
goes for Cape Town but the majority of people there, were. It starts with you.
In order to make the world a better place; you have to start with yourself. One
person that truly left an impact on my life since returning from Cape Town was
Nelson Mandela. Under all circumstances, Mandela still made a suggestion that
all people make peace and did something to help others. His birthday, July 18th, is international day of celebration, “Nelson Mandela Day” where people are invited to
devote 67 minutes to helping others as Mandela had for 67 years when in 2008 he said "It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now." A few days
before the approach of Mandela Day* I scrambled, wondering what I could do.
After having a mini breakdown and getting some tips, I realized what I should
do was evident and simple, just be me!
Whenever I see someone, I make it my
duty to say hello or smile. Until recently I noticed from myself that my hellos
only come on certain occasions and for many years I have walked by someone looked down and have said nothing. Not today, not anymore.
108 was the number
of my old residence where I lived and had adventures as a young child. 108 was
a number that meant something special to me and would be the number people I’d
say hello to that day. It started off kind of awkward and I would notice some
people giggle aware that I had just said hello to someone else so they knew it
was coming. I didn’t mind that however, because I’d rather make some random
person giggle than not make them smile at all that day. By the 56th
person, I decided to try something different. I called my sister and told her
to bring our guitars to the park nearby our home. I don’t know why but I would
get a rush out of making people smile. Mandela day was a beautiful day so being
outside was perfect because everyone was out. My sister and I are beginners at
the guitar but not beginners to entertain. We walked around the park and said
hello to 52 more people but this time in a “Hello” song saying hello in many
different ways. It was funny and people looked cheered up. Although this may
not seem to be a typical way of helping people, I feel like it made a huge
difference in a lot of people we saw that day. A hello does help. You never
know who could have been inspired to do something or go out and make new friends.
This was one of the most encouraging days for me and now every day for me will
have the same motive, to make someone smile.
----------------------------------
* The idea of Mandela Day was inspired by Nelson Mandela at his 90th birthday celebrations in London’s Hyde Park in 2008 when he said: "It is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now."
The United Nations officially declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day in November 2009, recognising Mandela’s "values and his dedication to the service of humanity" and acknowledging his contribution "to the struggle for democracy internationally and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world."
The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”
Individuals and organisations are free to participate in Mandela Day as they wish. We do however urge everyone to adhere to the ethical framework of “service to one’s fellow human”.
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