It was during my writing class that I first had the opportunity to visit the University Abbey. As a Muslim and as someone who has never entered an abbey before, I didn’t know what to expect. Instantly, upon walking in, I sensed the serenity and peace present in the building. There were not many statues and posters, rather simple hallways and areas for deep contemplation. The man that took us on the tour struck me as a man who enjoys alone time and time to contemplate God and his creations.
One of the first things that were very interesting to see was the fountain in the center of the first hallway. The man claimed that this fountain was filled with holy water and reminded them of their baptism and commitment to finding God.
After seeing the fountain, we went through a big hallway to one of the main prayer rooms. The monk said there are certain prayers that they must attend during the day. In between those prayers they are able to contemplate in some of the available rooms; he mentioned that he liked to take a quick trip around the forest with his bike.To me, the monk seemed like a humble man who simply likes to stay away from the materialistic life and live a life only for the purpose of finding God. His simplicity echoed throughout the abbey as well, for it was not adorned with many embellishments, lights, or statues. He seemed like a man that found the beauty in the simplest of things and never took anything for granted. In the way he described his lifestyle, I could sense the sincerity and commitment. Religion did not matter at this point; I was simply amazed by his dedication and spirit.
This opened up my thinking about how I live my own life. I found that sometimes I am too attached to technology, to money, and to a social life that distracts me from dedicating some time to think and reflect on life, on religion, on family, on blessings. I realized that happiness is not something that is felt right away rather it is more like a journey. Happiness should not be our destination, but more like decoration to our own personal journeys.
Going to the abbey refreshed my view on living a simple and modest life. Extravagance is not always needed to live a life of happiness. It’s truly in the simplest of things that we can find true happiness. Simplicity makes us more aware of the important aspects of life, allows us to cherish every one of God’s blessings, and really permits us to delve inside ourselves and thrive. Solitude is not necessarily loneliness. Everyone can truly benefit from alone time.
It was on the day that I attended a rally in solidarity with the innocent victims of Libya and Syria that I found my voice. I had seen the atrocities committed by Libyan president Maummar Gaddafi and heard the pleas from the many oppressed but began to question how I, a teenager from the United States, could make a difference. There are times in our lives where injustice will arise and overpower the weak, but I realized that we must take the road of change however small it may be. I found my road to change in this rally. Clicking attend on the Facebook event, I discovered that to achieve justice, action was the only way.
The day finally came and before I knew it, I was already on the bus, poster in hand, gazing out the window. Sitting on the bus reminded me of the justice Rosa Parks achieved in 1955, while refusing to give her seat up to a white man. Rosa achieved this noble cause because she had the determination and the passion in her heart. Before looking to change, we must change ourselves. We must carry the power of knowledge and the keys of experience. With this rally, I was hoping to change myself. With that change, I could finally gain the power to do greater things. I could gain the confidence to challenge injustice wherever it may be. Weather demanding equality on a bus or gaining freedom in an oppressive country, courage is the only route.
I took my first steps off the bus only to be greeted by cold wind and large crowds. I could hear the voices chanting in the distance. I slowly found myself merging with the crowd. I hesitated to chant at first, thinking my voice wasn’t going to make a difference next to the thundering sound of the megaphone. But then it hit me. We will always be in large crowds, surrounded by people who agree and disagree with us. There are times where we will feel our voice won’t make a difference, but this is where the courage plays in. The images of the innocent victims played in my mind and I slowly found my voice growing louder and louder. If I wanted to make a difference, I had to take a route and follow it through. I had to let my voice be heard.
