Ubuntu

I've had the honor of hearing this word over and over: Ubuntu -- and I honor this recurring voice who keeps reminding me of the term because of it's cherished meaning.

Instances of where I've heard the African word Ubuntu:
1. Referring to the "Ubuntu" distribution of Linux computer software
2. My brother's graduation -- a kid gave a speech about the concept behind Ubuntu.

It is impossible right? for any word to have no meaning. For a good while, I continued on believing that Ubuntu was a catchy, made-up word having with no substance. I thought of it as many of us think our names have no real substance -- "It's just a name!" you say.

It wasn't until this past Friday, when a kid in my brother's class -- the Salutatorian -- gave a speech about the connection each person with each other. He talked about the impact each individual has on society because of our connection. We must not think of humanity as a formation of isolated individuals; rather, we are all connected by each other's influence, impact, frequency.

A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity.

We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

These ideas really caught my eye because in the midst of all these experiences I've been having, comes a solution. An answer. A definition of a word that I've heard before that I never ever thought about. It was a connection from first hearing the word from Soch, to finding out the definition from this kid, to my own research on the concepts behind Ubuntu.

Hearing about a concept when you're naive (and you've reached the bar of higher understanding) and then trying to piece it together with no way of understanding the concept. This is where we'll have problems with no aid -- I vaguely remember Dr. Drew from Love Line saying these (almost) exact words last night. It makes total sense to me today. Everyday, I learn about my flaws and my good traits as a study how I interact with certain individuals -- at work, at school, in public arenas, but finally, someone steps into my busy schedule to explain the meaning of all this. They explain the material. Make it easier for me to understand why I go through these life lessons. Why I am so important to others, and why (even when I think that I couldn't possibly learn from the "stupidest" of all people) those people are important to me.

I know we all don't get along. We've got wars going on -- big ones and little ones. We don't like x,y,z about girl#1. We don't understand why people criticize us, try to cripple us. Some of us are creeps, some of us are black, white, red, yellow, whatever. We're all different, and our differences should not make us feel we must isolate ourselves because we are all essentially human beings who will in the smallest of ways impact lives. And this is a perfect segway to end my discussion. I'll end it with a quote from Mother Theresa:

"Small things with great love... It's not how much we do, but how much love we put into the doing. And it is not how much we give, but how much love we put into the giving. To God there is nothing small."