Saturday, August 6, 2011

Awaken, the beginning


How this entire life changing course began, is pure unavoidable accident, destined to change one’s life to what I was later referred to as the: “The Restless Visionary”.
It all started on a hot summer 1994 on a business trip to Haiti, with a vision to launch a modern public transportation system in Port-au-Prince.  During a road survey in the down town area by the Iron Market on Grand Rue, I was moved by a scene apparently I never saw before; a child searching a pile of garbage for food.  I was haunted by that sight and could not get my mind of that young man who at times was closed to be camouflaged in this refuse if it was not for his big sad red eyes which at times would indicate the presence of this forgotten young human being while silently crying for help.  I am sure I have seen this before…
As a young Haitian, born and raised in Port-au-Prince, I must have seen this landscape many times and like many other Haitians living abroad, it seemed that i had subconsciously and completely detached myself from the past and wished to erase those memories painted with different social or political experiences that had become my reasons to be blind and senseless to my homeland. 
As I pondered to forget those big eyes in this deep hungry hollow face, I began to see in ways I never seen before, I began to smell these streets and more importantly, I began to hear the cries of the forgotten.  All my senses were now awaken and immediately began to have a different optic of Haiti.

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