While studying in New York, a tribesman from a distance land witnessed first hand the horrors of 9/11. When he returned home to Kenya and shared his tale to the Maasai elders and children, they sat in shock and disbelieve. Untouched by the trappings of modern civilization, the cattle-herding tribe responds to America's loss by offering up their most valued possession. Their act of compassion is extraordinary and a lesson to be shared with all humanity.
Children's author, Carmen Agra Deedy along with illustrator, Thomas Gonzalez retells the tribemen's journey and introduces the philosophy of Ubuntu - the concept of showing empathy for fellow humans - great and small. Here lies the touching story of 14 Cows For America.
Here is an excerpt from a commencement address by J.K. Rowling at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association. Read the full address here. Below is the portion I thought worthy enough to share.
“The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination”
"...some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.
Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies.
The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned."
