Sometimes the fight feels like a hard one to win. While nothing will be perfection and progress does occur, when will the brick wall come down? As a human being, I fight hard for people and I believe in their potential to rise despite the way the world perceives them. Sometimes people cross my path and I wonder if they are going to win the battle against a world so cold.
When it comes to the underprivileged community abroad, there is such disregard for their being by community and governments. The government has little to no consideration about their food, education, and shelter. Community NGOs, various local organizations, and the church advocate for their rights, but the negative perspective of the world leaders remains the same. When it comes to their personal struggles: alcoholism, drug addiction, poverty, and the psychological consequences-people are lost. That person with depression should get out of bed. That personal with Bipolar disorder should control their mood swings. That person with schizophrenia should put on headphones to get rid of the voices. I have to work all day and these people should too. The hospital is there to treat them if they are sick. While I try my best to educate others by making real analogies, demonstrating internal struggles, and giving them step by step ways to assist. And it's my belief that the change is truly made one human being at a time, which keeps me going within my work.
Although, the overall population in the world does not get it and some days traveling make it difficult to believe. People choose to label this population-those who are underprivileged encountering mental illness as "crazy, sick, or pathetic."
When it comes to Mental Illness, it takes a person who has a personal experience with it or a mental health professional to even begin to understand. These who do have a family member or friend may be blind at first, but the time with individual becomes a learning experience.
If it's not you're family member or friend, are you willing to take the time to learn or will you choose a label? These people are human beings with feelings, dreams, passions, creativity, love, and curiosity. They want to see the world and be a part of it just as much as the Sally with the Yale degree, the perfect job, and recent engagement. They are not given an equal, fighting chance. When these people are seen talking to themselves on the streets, standing in line at the church for food, or crying for love and affection. The light bulb needs to go off that these people are human. They are human beings who deserve acknowledgment. They deserve a hello, a how are you, a question about their life and interests because they are human. There is no reason to discard their feelings and give them a dirty look as you are superior. This mentality will not get the US or the world anywhere. It's the mentality and the superiority that are true barriers towards reaching significant progress.
Each day I will keep fighting for this population because I believe in them... I always have and I always will....
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