"Live simply that others might simply live."

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Inspired

It's one of those events that you remember exactly where you were when it happened. 

It's one of those events that you will tell your children and grandchildren about.

It's the event that changed the world forever.

And on the 10th anniversary of this event, I have much to be inspired by. I hear personal stories on the television of those who lost their lives and those who survived. All of these stories inspire me. However, I would like to mention one particular individual who has inspired me very much in my lifetime: my brother, Brett. 

Truthfully, since we are five years apart AND opposite genders, I have had barely had a reason to bond with my brother besides on immature activities such as Halo 2 on Xbox live or over a bike ride to the park. However, in the last two years, I have become closer to my brother that I ever thought I would have and this change has given me a lot of inspiration.

Today, on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, my brother leaves for his adventure towards the country of Turkey. Some family and friends express extreme concern for him starting his adventure on this particular day, but I respect him even more for doing this because he is destroying the stereotypes that I PERSONALLY found to be untrue. Traveling to Turkey truly opened my eyes about all of these issues. Being from the conservative and judgmental Midwest, it was SO easy for me to be scared. Scared traveling on the plane, scared talking to people, scared walking in Istanbul, and scared to be an American. However, while traveling around the country, my opinions changed completely and for the better. I am no longer judging someone for how they dress or who they worship. I personally know people of all ages who say they would never involve themselves in such high-school type drama, but yet they still cannot feel completely comfortable around a Muslim. 

On a side note: last night, I spent about 2 hours with two girls from my hall. As we sat in my room consuming two bags of chips (guilty pleasure), we talked about all of these issues! It was really neat to have such sophisticated (and well-supported) conversations.

 

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