Last week, I attended a grant required CDC workshop in New Orleans. One day after events had ended; I decided to tag along with a colleague of mine on a streetcar ride through the Garden District. As we started our ride, I noticed the young woman sitting in the seat ahead of me was pointing out local spots to two other women. Her descriptions included the best places to eat, where one could pick up supplies, and what to watch out for. She even pulled the signal cord when the car neared the stop for the two women.
After the women exited the car, I started talking with the young woman. She told me that she was a student at a local university. The two women, she said, were from Sweden. She had found them aimlessly wandering the streets. Since she didn’t want others to take advantage of them, she offered to help the women safely arrive at their destination.
As we continued on our streetcar journey, she told me her story. According to this young lady, she had grown up in a broken home. While this might not seem unusual in today’s society where less than half of the population stay married, her broken home consisted of parents living in two different cities in different states. Having family and friends in both cities meant that no matter what city she found herself in, she was always homesick.
The one source of stability and inspiration throughout her childhood had been her grandfather. A teacher by profession, her grandfather had always inspired her to pursue her dreams. Through his continued support, she worked hard and won a scholarship to one of the top-rated private universities in the nation. “That is why I want to become a teacher,” she said. “I hope that I can help others realize that no matter their situation that they can be successful as well. I know that would make my Grandpa proud.”
I met the second inspiration on the return trip. At one of the stops, a young woman with a backpack entered and paid her fare. Since there were no empty seats left, she asked if she could join me. After sitting down, she turned to me and inquired if I was local. Seeing my camera, she quickly realized that I was a visitor and asked if I was in town for Jazz Fest. After explaining to her that I was attending a workshop, we quickly struck up a conversation.
This young woman told me that she worked as a carpenter fixing up buildings and houses. When I asked her how she had come to choose this unique profession, she said that it all started a few years ago when she had traveled to New Orleans after Katrina to lend a hand in the clean up. Soon after returning from the trip, she and another friend had decided that they enjoyed carpentry, and wanted to make this their profession.
She went on to tell me how she was currently attending college online, working as a journeyman carpenter for a non-profit organization, and working at the front desk of a local hotel. While she said some days could be very tiring, it was worth it to continue working to help others. As she stated, it was extremely satisfying to see the transformation of the buildings into places where others could live and raise their families. “There is no better feeling than knowing that you have helped someone to have a home they can call their own,” she told me as the car neared her stop.
As I walked back to my hotel later that day, I started to think about these two young women. Too often in our own lives we measure success by how much we earn, the positions we hold, or the material items we possess. However, these two women demonstrate that making a difference in the lives of others is the true measure of success. I only hope that when I look back upon my life in my golden years, that I can say I have been as equally successful as these two inspirations.