krista in san antonio

May 4th 2007; the adventure begins. Woke up at 5 am to arrive at the airport in time for my 740 flight to San Antonio with a layover in Chicago. Headed to training to go to Africa in July. I am now, for all intensive purposes, an adult.
People are generally friendly - at least in the Indianapolis airport. The question for this adventure is: "what gives you hope?"
People give me hope. Those who offer kind words and friendly smiles. Friends who love you and care for you through the perplexities of life - these give me hope. My friend gave me hope with her honesty and love and the peace of her apartment and the breakfast she provided.
The stories of this old man give me hope.
He is a man who must be at least 80, he sits in his wheel chair with a cap proclaiming he fought in World War II and Korea and he seems eager to share his stories with me. He is a black man who fought in a war where the color of his skin meant he was separated and treated as less than his white counterparts. He lived through the Civil Rights movement but only eludes to that in order to explain that the schools in Texas were not good due to segregation and that he was glad to move to Indiana.
He is a friendly fellow who spoke with passion. He talked a little about his kids (6 girls and 1 boy), grandkids, and greatgrandkids. He is headed to Texas, but he doesn't like the weather much, he prefers the weather of Indiana. This is interesting because I usually hear only complaints about how fickle Indiana weather can be.
He talked about the war and how the Iraq war is Bush's war. He compared Bush to Hitler - only in America could he get away with saying that. He has fought in two wars, lived through the Civil Rights movement, raised seven kids, and still has hope. He vehemently disagrees with this war for it is not a war for America but a war for Bush and his oil. He claims if he were in charge he would do things differently and proceeded to explain to me what and how. Despite all his ranting he was a joyful and thankful old man eager to impart wisdom on young listening ears.
I am thankful to have met him for he brings me hope. Hope that life can have lasting joy and meaning. Hope that freedom comes even if it takes pain. That is the story of one man I met. I met many other individuals on this excursion and I heard many stories. I heard from peers with passion and from older and wiser adults their stories and ambitions. I found encouragement to pursue my dreams and hope that my life can make a difference. I had many opportunities to share and many opportunities to listen and through it all I found hope. Hope that life can be lived to the fullest wherever you wind up and that if you choose you can make a difference.
I posted four pictures. One in the hotel lobby where it sits joyfully between the flowers, one on a blue door along the River Walk, one on the Vietnam Memorial - in honor of all the stories I heard about war on this adventure and one behind the tray on the seat back in front of me on the flight from Chicago back to Indy.
Stories shared bring hope.