When I see this picture, I see a man, beaten down, who has had little or no opportunity to become the person he could have been. Maybe he could have one an Olympic medal. Maybe he could have found a cure for cancer. Maybe he could have been a brain surgeon or that teacher that changed your life or a diplomat that changed the world. But due to his circumstances, he ended up in a high-risk, low-return job with no room to grow.
Each of us holds within us a spark that can grow into something bright and scintillating and beautiful. Some of us are born into an environment that fosters the growth of that spark--in a good home with a good education. But some people are born into a place with no air to feed the fire.
Sometimes, when we experience success in our education or our career, we look down at those who aren't experiencing success and think, "if they just worked harder, they wouldn't be having such a hard time." But you never know: maybe that person would be leaps and bounds above you if they had the same resources that you did. That's not to say that you don't deserve success if you work hard--I just think that we should keep in mind that we ALL have a spark--we all have the potential to make a difference. So use what you have to make a difference for those in the world who have a spark but nothing to help it grow.
Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. New York: Aperture. 343. Print.
I loved the spark analogy, and the phrase "born into a place with no air to feed the fire." I agree that we all have a spark and potential, and I love what you said about using what we have to make a difference for those with "no air" to feed their fires. Sometimes I felt like I had less opportunities to become the artist that I wanted because of my circumstances living in a small rural town. I felt that spark, and felt the fire burning inside of me, it almost feels like your in a cage when you can't follow your dreams. That is probably similar to how those that are poverty stricken feel.
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