Turns out that the North African Market in New York City is a good place to get life advice.
A few friends and I decided to take a road trip to New York to get in some extra cross-cultural training for our upcoming trip to Senegal. We stayed with a missionary family that will be helping us once in Senegal and they suggested traveling to the city to get a crash course with speaking the language (a cross between French, Arabic and Wolof). So, we adventured into Harlem and there we met Mel.
Mel is from Ethiopia and sells scarfs and jewelry in the Market. My friend Kris, who has traveled to both Kenya and Gabon, struck up a conversion with her while trying to purchase some items to bring home. Mel lived in Ethiopia for thirty years, then moved to Kenya where she was exiled back to Ethiopia after her brother got in trouble with the law. She came to the States when her son was a baby and has lived and worked in Harlem ever since. She tries to travel back to Africa every couple of years, but hasn't had the money to go back (even for her dad's funeral in 2007) since she was laid off from her job.
Before we parted, she took each of our hands and said, "You girls were respectfully inquisitive. Continue to ask questions. You are young, my children, ask the questions. Once you get old like me, the doors that are open to ask questions now will be shut and you will always wonder the answer."
Before we parted, she took each of our hands and said, "You girls were respectfully inquisitive. Continue to ask questions. You are young, my children, ask the questions. Once you get old like me, the doors that are open to ask questions now will be shut and you will always wonder the answer."
My dare for you today is to ask questions. You never know what you might discover, and that's a beautiful thing.
OX Alysha Marie
