Comments on: A Ghost Called Specioza http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/ Kiva Fellows share their experiences from the field Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:29:35 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Darin (KF3) http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-3071 Darin (KF3) Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:49:46 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-3071 Hey Bill - Nice perspective. A quantum leap different from pitching Alt. Energy proposals to wealthy funders. Forgive me for not being up to speed with your situation but, what happened to Sudan? Hey Bill – Nice perspective. A quantum leap different from pitching Alt. Energy proposals to wealthy funders.

Forgive me for not being up to speed with your situation but, what happened to Sudan?

]]> By: Bill Brick, KF6 http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-3040 Bill Brick, KF6 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:46:29 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-3040 Thank you Jan, John, Jill, Tatiana, Susan, Jackie, Booper and Megan for reading my post and taking the time to respond to it and share your thoughts. It's an honor for me to write about my Kiva Fellow experiences, but more importantly, its a duty. The people we meet don't have a voice and I view it as an obligation to express their situation as honestly and accurately as I can, and hopefully in a way that enlightens, educates and inspires. Thank you for supporting Kiva! Thank you Jan, John, Jill, Tatiana, Susan, Jackie, Booper and Megan for reading my post and taking the time to respond to it and share your thoughts. It’s an honor for me to write about my Kiva Fellow experiences, but more importantly, its a duty. The people we meet don’t have a voice and I view it as an obligation to express their situation as honestly and accurately as I can, and hopefully in a way that enlightens, educates and inspires. Thank you for supporting Kiva!

]]> By: Megan http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-3033 Megan Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:40:55 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-3033 Thank you for taking the time to put together such an amazing story. The ghost metaphor was particularly moving. Megan (KF6)Mexico Thank you for taking the time to put together such an amazing story. The ghost metaphor was particularly moving.

Megan (KF6)Mexico

]]> By: Booper http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-3017 Booper Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:50:03 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-3017 This blog was so moving and well written I'm speechless. Bill, I sure hope you pursue more writing when you get home. I'm so grateful for the roof over my head, the food in the cupboard, and the dumb luck to have all that. The ordinary IS extraordinary. This blog was so moving and well written I’m speechless. Bill, I sure hope you pursue more writing when you get home.

I’m so grateful for the roof over my head, the food in the cupboard, and the dumb luck to have all that. The ordinary IS extraordinary.

]]> By: Jackie http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-3004 Jackie Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:49:52 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-3004 Bill, That was beautifully written. I wish to thank you too, not only for your blog entry, but for all the work you are doing in Uganda with the various MFIs. I like Jill's idea of taking "a moment to pause and reflect, and if nothing else, to wing a smile and a good thought toward those people whose lives could have been our own, but for that grace". My best wishes to you and all those who cross your path, Jackie Bill,
That was beautifully written. I wish to thank you too, not only for your blog entry, but for all the work you are doing in Uganda with the various MFIs.

I like Jill’s idea of taking “a moment to pause and reflect, and if nothing else, to wing a smile and a good thought toward those people whose lives could have been our own, but for that grace”.

My best wishes to you and all those who cross your path,
Jackie

]]> By: Susan Shewan http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-2997 Susan Shewan Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:46:58 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-2997 Wow! Thanks for posting your experiences and Specioza's story. Susan Wow!
Thanks for posting your experiences and Specioza’s story.

Susan

]]> By: Tatiana http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-2995 Tatiana Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:39:21 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-2995 The idea of ghosts is profoundly disturbing to me, because one of my best friends was told by his grandmother who grew up in India that he was a ghost now. We never have known what she meant. Now I'm wondering if this tradition of casting someone from the family and refusing to acknowledge their existence is what she was referring to. That's so horrible! More and more I see when I read these blogs how very hard people's lives are in most of the world, and how extremely lucky I am to have been born here in the U.S. through no act or quality of my own. Why me? There's no good reason. I wonder also something else when I read these blogs. I wonder what cruel and ugly traditions we have in our own society that we fail to see because it's how things are and how they've always been, because we humans view our own cultures as being natural law always? What are we doing ourselves that we can change to become more enlightened, kinder, stronger, and better as a culture? I will ponder and pray on this subject to discover which traditions are honored more in the breach than the observance, as Prince Hamlet said. The idea of ghosts is profoundly disturbing to me, because one of my best friends was told by his grandmother who grew up in India that he was a ghost now. We never have known what she meant. Now I’m wondering if this tradition of casting someone from the family and refusing to acknowledge their existence is what she was referring to. That’s so horrible!

More and more I see when I read these blogs how very hard people’s lives are in most of the world, and how extremely lucky I am to have been born here in the U.S. through no act or quality of my own. Why me? There’s no good reason.

I wonder also something else when I read these blogs. I wonder what cruel and ugly traditions we have in our own society that we fail to see because it’s how things are and how they’ve always been, because we humans view our own cultures as being natural law always? What are we doing ourselves that we can change to become more enlightened, kinder, stronger, and better as a culture? I will ponder and pray on this subject to discover which traditions are honored more in the breach than the observance, as Prince Hamlet said.

]]> By: Jill http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-2994 Jill Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:36:05 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-2994 Bill, Thanks to Jan from Calgary who highlighted your blog posting for us at kivafriends.org, I took the time to chase it down and read it-- where otherwise, I might have missed it. I wanted to tell you thank you for it, as well. It was wonderfully effective in putting a face, a human being that we all could feel for on someone that anyone of us, in our hurried, rushing lives might otherwise have passed by, unawares. If we’re all lucky, partly as a result of your posting and of your own ability to notice and to feel, perhaps the next time some of us chance by some “ghost” on one of the streets of our own lives, maybe we’ll take a moment to pause and reflect, and if nothing else, to wing a smile and a good thought toward those people whose lives could have been our own, but for that grace, etc. etc. Take care and best to you and to all those you encounter, Jill Bill,
Thanks to Jan from Calgary who highlighted your blog posting for us at kivafriends.org, I took the time to chase it down and read it– where otherwise, I might have missed it. I wanted to tell you thank you for it, as well. It was wonderfully effective in putting a face, a human being that we all could feel for on someone that anyone of us, in our hurried, rushing lives might otherwise have passed by, unawares.

If we’re all lucky, partly as a result of your posting and of your own ability to notice and to feel, perhaps the next time some of us chance by some “ghost” on one of the streets of our own lives, maybe we’ll take a moment to pause and reflect, and if nothing else, to wing a smile and a good thought toward those people whose lives could have been our own, but for that grace, etc. etc.

Take care and best to you and to all those you encounter,
Jill

]]> By: Jan & John http://fellowsblog.kiva.org/2008/11/16/a-ghost-called-specioza/#comment-2992 Jan & John Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:24:44 +0000 http://kivafellows.wordpress.com/?p=2164#comment-2992 Whew, Bill, that was quite a read. You have quite a knack of totally re-connecting us to the Kiva vision. My very best to you, be well, jan Whew, Bill, that was quite a read. You have quite a knack of totally re-connecting us to the Kiva vision. My very best to you, be well, jan

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