Something Worth Fighting For

As dorky as I am sure this will end up sounding, I was recently watching Harry Potter and a quote that Harry said at the the end of the movie struck me and refused to let up. He said that even though they had a fight ahead of them they had something that Voldemort didn't, when Ron asked what that might be, he responded, "Something worth fighting for."

I know it is simply a line from a movie that isn't really supposed to begot that much thought or inquiry. Harry and his band of witch and wizard friends are talking about defeating Voldemort, defeating evil and how since Voldemort is alone and without family, friends, love, or any of the things that make living worthwhile he lacks the key component that ones needs to fight, to truly fight with the voracity that Harry and his friends do.

Regardless of this, as I am so often known to do with anything that I watch, I couldn't help but consider this line and what it could possibly mean for us in the muggle world. Those of us who live a life where the only magic that exists does so in much more discrete forms.

So, onto this blog worthy pondering of mine.

Something worth fighting for. Whether or not you have seen the Harry Potter movies you have no doubt heard the saying, but what exactly does it mean to you? To different people it carries with it varied and complex meanings. To soldiers the country they so valiantly protect must be 'worth fighting for'. To teachers molding the minds of children and imparting an age old, or even freshly learned, wisdom must also carry the moniker. To a writer, artist, or musician expressing something that evokes thought, feeling, or something unattainable yet strived for, must also hold this distinct title.

I think that each person must discover that niche for themselves. The one thing that they cannot really imagine not doing and decide that it is something worthy of fighting for. Maybe it will be protecting the people that they love, following a seemingly impossible dream, or simply starting the journey we must all impart on toward self discovery. As it was once famously said, "If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything." The path to discovery is often the hardest to navigate. It often contains murky waters and unknown signs. Regardless, it seems to me that discovery and true understanding can only be achieved by those who dare to make the leap from the world of light into the unknown of darkness, because only those who truly search for freedom and truth will find anything worthwhile.

Perhaps what you deem worth fighting for has nothing to do with a future career, perhaps you have already walked the maze of self discovery and found your way out the other end. Maybe you definition has more to do with volunteerism or activism.

For instance, in my life so far I have found many things worth fighting for. The innocence of children and their right to hold onto it for as long as possible. The basic civil rights that should be guaranteed to all people regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation. Finding a cure for cancer, diabetes, autism. Helping addicts discover the beauty in the world and change their ways. Shaping the life of a child. Treating all people equal, because regardless of intelligence, power, money, or a multitude of other things no single human being on this planet is worth more in my eyes than another. It is all these things and a multitude of others that would most likely take the rest of the night to list and while I wouldn't mind that so much, it's late and I am trying to watch Doctor Who.

So, now that I have spoken my piece, what do you see as important enough to distinguish with these words? Whatever it is accept it, embrace it, and then change it to the best of your ability, because anything worth fighting for deserves an army to protect it.

Hope to Haiti

In life we are presented with various opportunities. These opportunities are the defining moments in our lives. The moments where we must decide who we are and who we want to be. Sometimes these moments are as obvious as a fireworks show on the Fourth of July, but more often than not they are subtle, indistinguishable, moments that don't seem to mean a lot in the grand scheme of things but will end up meaning more than you could ever imagine. I feel like this is one of those moments for me, only for some unforeseeable reason I'm able to distinguish it before it is merely a distant memory of what could have been.

Four days ago Misha Collins announced his Hope to Haiti project. This project, to boil it down to it's basic core, is an ongoing effort by his charity, Random Acts, to provide relief to the city of Jacmel, Haiti after the devastating earthquake last year. On June 20, 2011, Matt Cohen and forty volunteers who are lucky enough to be the first to raise $5000 will embark on the experience of a lifetime, with Misha Collins joining sometime during the six day trip. During this trip they will build a multipurpose community center that will help feed and house the homeless and hungry children of Jacmel, as well as provide and education for them, and various other things, for the full information please visit: http://www.therandomact.org/wordpress/news/hopetohaiti/

I would love nothing more than to be one of those lucky forty who was able to raise such a large sum of money for such an amazing cause. It is going to sound corny, but I'll say it anyway because it is the truth. It's always been my dream to go to another country and volunteer. It's something that I have been itching to do ever since I knew that people did things like that. I have never been outside of the United States and as far as volunteering goes I have not ventured too far beyond my own community, so for me this would honestly be the trip of a lifetime. It would fulfill the dream of a little girl who for some reason felt the first compulsion to help when watching a show called Tour of Duty about the Vietnam War and has since never stopped dreaming about the day she could finally stretch her wings a bit and maybe teach someone else how to soar.

But honestly more so than that, in fact way more so than that, I simply want to raise as much money as possible for this project. Because it isn't about me, it isn't about my dream of helping others, in fact this project is not about me even a little bit, it's about them. The people who are in desperate need of help that only we can provide. The people who simply want the chance to live a life that is as devoid of pain and hardship as is possible. The people who, quite plainly want a chance to live.

So I ask you, whoever you are reading this (and I sincerely hope someone does) please consider giving to this amazing cause that will shape so many lives. Please help me to help them because they are who matter in this equation, and they need our help.

Here is the link to my page for donations: http://www.crowdrise.com/hopetohaiti1/fundraiser/CarmenYoung