Think Different

Steve Jobs came up with a marketing campaign a few years ago that centered around the slogan, "Think Different." The commercials and advertisements instilled the values of not conforming, thinking outside the box and even showed images of our most historical figures to reiterate that message to you. The company preached through its campaign, that by thinking differently you would buy Apple products.

In essence, their marketing campaign completely contradicts everything Apple really wants from their customers. Apple's company goals align right with every other company, and that's "Think the Same."

People in every culture must fulfill a certain role. In China it may be to obey your government, but in the United States it is to consume! Our duty as citizens where we live is to consume as much as we can, the entire world relies on us to do so.

I'll tie this into what my entire point of the post it; our culture wants you to feel shitty about yourself. That may not be their number one priority, but in order for us to consume up to our potential we can never be satisfied with ourselves. Someone who is completely secure with themselves won't feel a need to continually buy things that they don't necessarily need to fill some void in their lives.

Every day we are continually shown images of what we're supposed to look like and what we're supposed to have. If we don't fit that image we are then somehow incomplete. That's OK though, because with all the different products out there that help alter our appearances, we may one day be complete and match the images we're shown in the magazines or the movies. This leads to both girls and guys going to extreme lengths that can even be very unhealthy to obtain an appearance that for most of us is physically impossible. But we're told that if we don't fit that image, well then we're not good enough.

This thought process goes beyond physical appearances as well. We're told that our worth as human beings is measured by the things we own, not the quality of our character. Each product we own helps define who we are. You're even supposed to sum up a person just by the type of car they have (even though in most countries only 5-10% of the population even own a vehicle). Social class used to be defined by whether you could put 3 meals on the table for your family, now it's defined by the different brand names we own. Once again, the advertisements center around the thought that if we don't own the products that the people in the images are seen having then we once again are somehow incomplete. This in turn causes some Americans to work relentlessly, never truly taking time to enjoy their lives, in an endless cycle to obtain things that they don't even need.

There will be some people that read this and will conclude that I'm weird and ridiculous for even writing this, because well, this is different. But I want people to be aware of what their culture is doing to them. There's a reason that although we may be one of the very top countries financially; psychology studies have often found us to be in the middle of the pack or bottom when it comes to measuring happiness. Americans I believe are by far the most insecure people in the world. That doesn't mean that everyone is, but a majority of us will constantly find flaws in ourselves and are uncomfortable in our own skin.

I'm asking everyone to just think a bit differently. And when I say that I don't mean go paint your fingernails black, get a mohawk, or even turn into a complete hipster on us. What I'm saying is recognize that everyone really does have a unique skill or attribute to offer. Stop being so concerned with what you lack, and recognize what you're good at. Stop being so caught up and concerned with what others may think. If there is something you truly want to do, but you may be afraid of how others could perceive you, say "Fuck It!" Do what makes you happy, not the people around you.

I'm nowhere near being exempt from everything I've talked about, but the more you're aware of what is trying to control you the better off you are. A lot of us feel as if we're immortal, but we're all alike because we all will die at some point, and life really is pretty short. None of us have the time to be caught up in materialistic things. We should wake up everyday and do what we want to, not what society tells us we want to!

Goodbye Kenya

After 30 hours of flying (including layovers), I've finally made it back to the states. I already miss Kenya, but its bitter sweet as I'm leaving for Australia in just a weeks time. My last week in the country was still eventful to say the least. I took over the Enrich Kibera program, and helped run the tours which was great. On Thursday we had over 10 people sign up for the tour, which is much more than usual so it was a bit hectic to say the least. We were walking through the largest garbage slum in Africa with a small army of white people carrying bags of flour and beans, so we stood out quite a bit.

During the week I made sure to keep tabs on the families we worked with and made sure everything was going ok. One of the men we provide food for is 72 now and was told he will need surgery to repair his arms and knees as he can no longer walk. He explained to us that he is afraid to get surgery even though we'll cover the costs for fear of his own death on the operating table. I relayed this to the doctor, and we agreed that we will have to send him to counseling to help him overcome his fears as this surgery is necessary for him. I really enjoyed my time with the program, the Kenyans we worked with are great and truly only want to help their neighbors.

I must say that for most of this blog I've talked about trying to help people as much as possible. I really do believe that it has come off a bit conceited, and even obnoxious of me. Yes, we helped provide some of them with material things and even gave food to families that otherwise wouldn't have it. But did we really improve their quality of life that much, or even a little? Yes, these people have very little, their homes are mud shacks with nothing more than maybe a bed and a couch inside. But, never once did I get a sense that these people were even remotely upset with the quality of their lives. Generally, the people I worked with and even the other Kenyans I spent time with were all pretty happy. One of the men we provide food for Peter is 85 years old and wears the same pair of clothes every day, yet every time I walk in to see him, he always greets us with a big smile and firm handshake. I'd even go as far to say that most of them are probably a lot more satisfied with their lives then a lot of my American friends. It really does reiterate the fact that material possessions will not being you happiness, or fill that empty void in your life.

This doesn't go to say that the Kenyans are oblivious to their countries situation. I've had quite a few very serious and heartfelt discussions with some of the Kenyans I've worked with while here. It hurts to hear the pain in their voice as they describe how corrupt their government is and their standard of living should be so much better. They're fully aware that the money they pay for taxes goes straight to the politicians pockets, and there just isn't much that can be done about it. I see the irritation and anger in their face, they feel helpless. But, they are able to recognize it and still go on about their lives and enjoy them to the fullest.

I really will miss the the country and hope to return someday. The other volunteers were great as well as the Kenyans I worked with. I developed a close friendship with the woman (she hates being called that) that helps run the volunteer hostel, and will miss her a lot as well. To everyone that has been keeping up with this blog I really appreciate it, and I hope I helped provide some insight for the volunteers that plan on coming to Kenya in the future. I'll still be updating this while I'm in Australia, but it may not be as interesting, as their lifestyle is pretty similar to America. I will miss everyone in Kenya, I wish them the best, and hopefully we will meet again!