Different types of care

As I arrived at the HIV Hospital in Chennai, there were many things that stood out to me. None of such things struck me more than the compassion of the people working at the institution. Not only were the people at this hospital providing healthcare but also psychological and economic care, which are things they are not necessarily obligated to provide. 

One specific instance stands out in my mind when thinking about these services. As we were leaving the hospital we stopped to take a picture, Mrs. Silversides gave her camera to a person on the hospital’s faculty and asked him to snap a photo. As the man attempted to take a photo it became apparent he had never used a camera before. As I noticed this I began to think about how fortunate we are as Americans to have such privileges. Then I began to think about how much we as Americans focus on the wrong sorts of things in life. Here was this man who had never used a high def camera but was devoting his life to the care of others. By doing so this man had made a conscious choice his life was going to mean something that he could truly be proud of. 

This idea of compassion as I look forward to returning to PA is something I hope to be able to exemplify. I hope to be able to harness this example of compassion as shown by this man at the HIV hospital and evoke it into the Andover community. By doing so I believe the Andover community will be able to look at their education as more of a gift than it is a tool to become the next American millionaire. There are few moments in which as you experience them you know your outlook on life is changing, and this visit to the HIV Hospital was definitely one of this experiences for me.

Andrew R.