Gratefulness Speech
Thesis Statement: To tell the story of moving from Canada to India and to share these three lessons: gratefulness, adaptability, and that anything can, and should be celebrated.
Attention Getter: There I was, 7 years old and boarding a plane for the first time. Summer had just started in the Great North and all my friends were already making plans for sleepovers and vacations, while I was crammed up inside of an airplane for 25 hours. The moment I stepped foot in this foreign land, I felt immediate despair. My stomach turned upside down and I wasn’t sure if I could make it a day here.
Story: Anyone that knows me knows that I am terrified of change. Walking out of the Mumbai airport, I was overwhelmed by the smell of sweat and curry as well …show more content…
As I started walking the streets of Bardoli,
I learned to be grateful for what I have
The happiest people are the most grateful
We live in a culture where there are more wants and needs. Growing up in a first world country, most of us take everything for granted.
Being thankful for streetlights and traffic rules
The lack of healthy food and clean water
Poverty is EVERYWHERE.
My family and I went to a Hindu temple and there were homeless kids begging for scrap pieces of food. I gave a kid my leftover roti and his face just lit up.
When you watch a 5 year old boy taking care of his younger sister while his parents are out begging, trying to earn a couple rupee’s makes your heart melt. Meanwhile, our biggest concern is trying to find a babysitter, so you can go to work.
People walking around naked because they can’t even afford money for clothes. Meanwhile we’re worrying about a lululemon top that costs a $100 that might be a little over your …show more content…
You know NYC as the city that never sleeps, but India is the country that never sleeps!
I soon realized that India is really starting to feel more and more like home.
I learned that anything can, and should be celebrated
Indian culture encourages dancing and singing anytime and anywhere
My grandfather's workers would always listen to music while dancing as they would harvest sugarcane
Dancing at weddings
I learned the hard way that most immediate family have to dance at weddings. They made me dance and it was high paced and very energetic!
Festivals
Indians will take a simple festival and make it into a rave! For example, my first Holi in India was a helluva experience. Holi is the festival of colours, where people buy and throw coloured powder. It’s not just one person throwing it at you, but it’s thousands! Another fun festival was Uttarayan, which is the festival of kites. Millions of kites soar through the air of India during this beautiful festival.
Concluding Statement: Now whenever I feel like I am deep down in a hole and can’t get out, I just think back to the day I landed in Mumbai and think “It could be a lot worse than it is right now” and it brings me back
Attention Getter: There I was, 7 years old and boarding a plane for the first time. Summer had just started in the Great North and all my friends were already making plans for sleepovers and vacations, while I was crammed up inside of an airplane for 25 hours. The moment I stepped foot in this foreign land, I felt immediate despair. My stomach turned upside down and I wasn’t sure if I could make it a day here.
Story: Anyone that knows me knows that I am terrified of change. Walking out of the Mumbai airport, I was overwhelmed by the smell of sweat and curry as well …show more content…
As I started walking the streets of Bardoli,
I learned to be grateful for what I have
The happiest people are the most grateful
We live in a culture where there are more wants and needs. Growing up in a first world country, most of us take everything for granted.
Being thankful for streetlights and traffic rules
The lack of healthy food and clean water
Poverty is EVERYWHERE.
My family and I went to a Hindu temple and there were homeless kids begging for scrap pieces of food. I gave a kid my leftover roti and his face just lit up.
When you watch a 5 year old boy taking care of his younger sister while his parents are out begging, trying to earn a couple rupee’s makes your heart melt. Meanwhile, our biggest concern is trying to find a babysitter, so you can go to work.
People walking around naked because they can’t even afford money for clothes. Meanwhile we’re worrying about a lululemon top that costs a $100 that might be a little over your …show more content…
You know NYC as the city that never sleeps, but India is the country that never sleeps!
I soon realized that India is really starting to feel more and more like home.
I learned that anything can, and should be celebrated
Indian culture encourages dancing and singing anytime and anywhere
My grandfather's workers would always listen to music while dancing as they would harvest sugarcane
Dancing at weddings
I learned the hard way that most immediate family have to dance at weddings. They made me dance and it was high paced and very energetic!
Festivals
Indians will take a simple festival and make it into a rave! For example, my first Holi in India was a helluva experience. Holi is the festival of colours, where people buy and throw coloured powder. It’s not just one person throwing it at you, but it’s thousands! Another fun festival was Uttarayan, which is the festival of kites. Millions of kites soar through the air of India during this beautiful festival.
Concluding Statement: Now whenever I feel like I am deep down in a hole and can’t get out, I just think back to the day I landed in Mumbai and think “It could be a lot worse than it is right now” and it brings me back