Too Many Passions for One Lifetime

I've started to realize that people don't just say life is too short because it's a cliche, but because life is actually too short. There is so much I want to accomplish, so many ways I want to make an impact but I think I am overly ambitious in many ways. I'm not sure if its possible to have too many passions but recently I've noticed that what I want to accomplish in life is not exactly on the academic path I am currently on. Which is completely fine. I accept that I do not know what I want. All I know is what I care about.

This past week I attended a conference dedicated to educating youth about the conflict in Northern Uganda and the logistics of ending the war. These past few days have really encouraged my curiosity for conflict management. I met many leaders in the United Nations and heard their opinions on the war in Northern Uganda.

We lobbied our congressmen and representatives to sign the "LRA disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act." Representative Chris Van Hollen's Foreign Affairs Aide slapped us with a reality check along with some ignorance. Even before she gave our bill a chance, she gave us an tutorial of all other conflicts in Africa, and how there is no clean ending. Lives will always be lost. She tries to knock the passion off our faces by revealing our naivety. What can the youth of America really amount to when it comes to international affairs? Truth is, I hate politics. But its impossible to avoid the government when you are trying to end a war. And ironically the ignorance of the U.S. government only adds to the frustration.

I hate the concept of human trafficking. I hate the that little boys are being forced to kill and little girls are sex-slaves to LRA commanders. I hate that this evil exists, and yet despite how much I hate it, it still continues. I hate how humans have the capability to ignore atrocities by looking the other way. And it is easy when the suffering of a nation is on the other side of the world.

At the end of the day, you can't save the world. You can try but you can't do it alone. This superman mentality needs to be flushed down the toilet. I can only do what is within my human
capabilities, and the rest is up to God.