Paris

A couple of months after my trip from Uganda I was filling up my car at the gas station. A man walked up to me drinking a milkshake. He told me his car was out of gas and he had no money to get any gas. I usually am a sucker for these things and hand over a couple of dollars but this man had an attitude that made me feel like he was entitled to my money and I couldn't help but think he was lying. I told him "then you probably shouldn't have gotten a milkshake." and I got in my car and drove off.
I have no idea where that came from because I don't usually call someone out like that but I think it had a lot to do with a little girl named Paris.


Paris is a girl from a school we visited other than St. Jerome Cove Center. She is a very smart and funny girl!! She told me she wanted to finish school and become a doctor. She has dreams she said. I fell in love with her spirit. she asked me questions about my camera and my family.

I had a passport holder that I wore around my neck and I usually tucked it under my shirt when we would venture out in the villages. In the holder I also carried around pictures of my family. So I reached down my shirt to pull out the holder and show her my pictures. but I slipped and on the ground it went spilling out over a hundred dollars in Uganda money! (shillings) I was horrified! All my fears started rushing over me! she was going to snatch my money and run! how could I be so clumsy! this was all I had on me for the rest of the trip! I frantically started picking up the bills. Paris bent down grabbed a couple bills and..........She handed them to me!
I felt so ashamed of my way of thinking. I hugged her and thanked her. she smiled at me then handed me a basket and said "I made a present for you." It was a little hand made basket!
I put that basket in my window sill above the kitchen sink. It's perfect for holding my rings while I do the dishes.


I think about the man that begged for money at the gas station and Paris. A hundred dollars would probably help both of them. They might really need it but when I said no to the man he got mad and made me feel scared enough to leave. Paris smiled and handed me a present! she thanked me for listening to her. she made me feel like we were new friends. I wish everyone could go and see the poverty levels around the world. but most of all I wish they could see the spirit in those people. They are happy, blessed in other ways, grateful for any little thing you can give them even if it is just a smile and a conversation.

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