What is children? Are they the produce of your lust fulfilment or someone who you can pass on your legacy to?
Welcome to my first post. Throughout my travel, children always attracted my attention; for good and for the worst.
Good - Carefree laugh and smile
Worst - Savaging for food and begging for a cent with torn off clothes and flies around their faces
The Good
“A child can always teach an adult three things; to be happy for no reason; to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his/her might that which he/she desires.” - Paulo Coelho
Saw the beautiful scenery as photo above in a beach in Bali, Indonesia. This is what we call a daddy girls. She felt so secure in the arm of the first man of her life. The feeling of security on her face showed that she fully trusted her daddy will he will protect her from all the bad things in the world. As for the daddy, I can feel... He was happy because his aging arm could still protect his little girl. I have never have the honour to be a father but I believe, his greatest life achievement is to see his little girl grow up and have a wonderful life. #fatherlove
Happiness as a Kids vs as an Adult
While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about - Angela Schwindt
Did you ever experience the following when you grow up:
1. It is difficult to smile and laugh to our heart content
2. Did you have any dreams when you were young? Where are they now?
3. Loss of creativity
4. Forgive and forget quickly
5. Believe the world is a good place
As an adult, we always try to teach our children from what we have experienced in this harsh world. Most of the times, it is all about the negativity that we encounter. Experience shapes someone.
As a boy growing up in traditional Chinese family, the adults always say... This is for your own good. As I grow up, i understand their intention, but during my journey, i started to question myself. Is this the correct way?
Photo above again was taken in Bali. You can see the 2 children rushing to the wave. They might fall or trip but they knew... in order to be happy, you need to fight for it even in the process, you might get hurt. As an adult, we tend to make things complicated. All these experiences make us the adult, in self protecting mode. It's time for us to learn from the children again. #happy #childhood
A moment of sexual lust vs decade of innocent child suffering
“I hate how parents who are suppose to be adults, and yet they act like children and bring their kids down with them until they destroy them too. It happens way too much and it break my heart. - Anonymous”
Apart from the joy given to me unconditionally by children i met across my journey, sadly there are always 2 sides to everythings.
Came across this pretty little girl in Egypt. The flies were flying around her little face and strange enough, she didn't even bother to soo away the flies; as this was a norm for her. This scene leave a deep impression to me. Apart from this scene, I also saw much worse scenery where children ran to you with torn off clothes, without shoes with big belly due to malnutirition and full of dirt, begging for a few cents. It really broke my heart that when i lifted up my camera, i immediately put it down. A silent tears started to flow inside of me, yet there was nothing i can do.
Should i give them the few cents they are asking for? If yes, will they and their parents think this is an easy money and instead of sending them to school, they are being taught on how to make easy money via begging. I wish to help them, yet i feel so helpless.
As per Chinese proverb, to give birth is easy but to groom them up, it is a lifelong commitment.
Most of the kids' parents are less educated. They don't realise that education is the most powerful tools to give their kids a better life.
And worst, the poorer the parents, the more children they have. They never work and to spend their time, they just fullfill their sexual lust for a moment of satisfaction. They don't even use contraception. They know how suffer it is to be poor, yet due to their selfishness, they drag their kids down until eventually, they destroy them.
Photo from top (Clockwise):
1. As a baby girl born in India where baby girl are treated as burden and women where being treated as commodity, i can only pray she can escape from the loop. In this photo, she seem like staring far away looking at all those uncertaincy.
2. Took this photo near the Niles river at around 10am. He was wearing a broken cloth and with his other siblings. A big family. Wondering, why he not going to school or doing his homework? Instead, he was just sit at the road side.
3. Mongolia female eagle huntress in making. Traditionally, the Kazakhs in Western Mongolia only pass down the eagle hunting skill to their son. However, after the success of 'The Eagle Huntress' film, many locals started to teach their daughter the skill. Initially, i think this is a little boy, but realise, he is actually a she. The eagle is heavy and she was trained by her parents, wherever there is camera, she will smile automatically.
4. This little boy is following his dad to work at Tonle Sap, Cambodia. Nothing is wrong with it but, i can only pray, he will not taking over his dad's profession as a boat captain.
The FUTURE
The most beautiful and breathtaking views in the world is the faces of children; naïve, carefree; brave; pure soul and the laughter and smiles.
Unfortunately, not all human are born equal. Children are gifts to the world and should be protected and cherished.
I felt so helpless that i was not able to help them.