Best of the Week: Born Into Brothels (AFTERMATH)

 Each little miracle of the eight little Calcutta kids was recorded as the documentary Born Into Brothels and in this film we absorbed each child's back story; where they came from, and how they lived, but most of all how they were treated. An instinct to protect one another made gaining more and more sympathy for them inevitable which made learning about how their lives have evolved all the more exiting, almost as if we were sharing in their triumph of winning with the vulnerable and deficient hand they were dealt.

Once we finished the documentary in class, we moved on to updating ourselves on their lives after Born into Brothels. They have all gone to achieve so much for an average Joe, but when taken into account where they came from, who their parents are, and how they lived, those factors highlight the level of grit and perseverance and most of all sheer luck each of these children posses. Luck because, they are eight of all the other children around them that were in the same, if not worse situation. Each is lucky because, none was HIV positive in a place where no checkups happen, no vaccines, and no precautions are taken. Lucky because Zana Briski and Ross Kaufmann decided to change the topic of their documentary. So many things went wrong in these childrens' lives, but then again, so many things went so right.

So what about the rest of us?
So many more things have gone right for us, yet most of us take it for granted and ignore that fact. We are the one third of the world that does not live in poverty; that is not malnourished, or dehydrated, or HIV positive, or alone, or with too many mouths to feed. It is beyond easy to forget how fortunate and lucky this part of the world's society is, because we are all so caught up in petty dilemmas like which shoes to buy, and how we can only buy one because last week we bought three pairs and we promised ourselves to save up and stop splurging. And even if we do buy those shoes and more, the rent or mortgage will still be paid on time, the electricity and water, TV and internet, phone bills, car payments and all the rest will not have any problems getting paid. Just take the time to stop and think.

Once a day, take the random thoughts about shoes or which toothpaste to buy, and compare those to the thoughts of that remaining two thirds of the world who is thinking of a place to sleep tonight, or how they are going to find clean water tomorrow. Do this and your head will be out of the clouds, into clarity and back down to earth. Humbled and aware you will see how fortunate you really are to have those shoes on your feet. Enlightened, you will see your luck and reason to push yourself and pull away from those shoes and maybe even keep that promise made to yourself to start saving.