The last three days have felt like 6 months. I'm biz-ackk! I had the best time in Ghana. I wish I were still there or was able to bottle up all the good moments/air/water/sand/red clay.
The other night I was talking about my experiences at the Elmina Slave Castle, and would you believe it... I started to cry (again). I'm still so overwhelmed with my experiences at that particular slave castle. I feel compelled to share with you all one of the lessons I learned while in Ghana: "Life Goes On". Yup. The biggest cliche. While I was bawling my eyes out, doubled over in grief at the castle in Elmina, I went to the top of the castle, looked out into the Atlantic and was struck by its beauty. The juxtaposition of beauty and pain/sorrow and the vastness of the ocean was startling. I saw men playing soccer on the beach, boats being made, folks fishing on the Atlantic. Once I turned around and faced my group, looked into their tear-filled faces, looked and fully understood that we have all been touched by slavery, I said "life goes on". Someone somewhere in my lineage survived slavery in the Caribbean and South America. Each and every one of us had a someone who survived thus allowing us to live.
It was deep. I'm not going to lie. Being comforted by strangers was foreign to me... but I allowed it and am better for it. I hope I was as comforting to those who needed it.
All in all, I was a hot caca mess at the Elmina Slave Castle but I wouldn't trade that experience with those people for anything (less than 7 million bucks).
Peace
Oh and the pics are on facebook. Once I figure out how to link blogger with those pics, they will be posted here.
