Book 76 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title - I Can't Imagine

Book -  The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

Book Description: From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitive and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves.

Reflection:

I can't even imagine what it must be like to feel unwanted, scared, and hated in a place you call home. To feel like you have no other option than to leave the place of your birth and family behind because you know that you will never be treated as the human you are in your lifetime. What it must be like to fear for your safety and your children's safety as you interact with people in seemingly normal situations that can turn into your death sentence at a moments notice if you accidentally slip up and let your real emotions show.

I, fingers crossed, will never be able to imagine this life in my lifetime. However, It is through stories like The Warmth of Other Suns that everyone that says "I Can't Imagine" has the opportunity to learn, and on the smallest level, put themselves in the same shoes as these individuals that endured this pain and trauma in their lives.

It makes me sad that they had to experience this in the first place, but honored and proud to share the title of human with them as they endured through their struggle and made it through. I'm not glad that this story exists, but I am glad I read this story as I feel like I just learned a ton about seminal events of why our lives are the way they are in this country today. I get to learn so much about what it must be like to be an immigrant and to leave your old life behind with nothing but hope for a brightener future. It makes me feel even closer to my own past relatives that made this decision themselves as they left poverty in Italy. Most importantly, this story has helped to shift my paradigm on our modern day society, how a lot of this has come to be, and how much better we can and should do for our fellow man and woman.

That is what this Year of Magical Learning journey is all about. It is about shifting paradigms and being open to learn from as many different stories and perspectives that humanity has to offer. Once again, The Compound Effect of this project and my new life's purpose of "Living for 2" is the only reason I found this book. It is through this new journey, that I've somehow now gotten into the habit of asking people the question, "What's the one book that you learned the most from in your life?".

I asked this to my friend and hair stylist, Marta and The Warmth of Other Suns was her answer. Talk about random, I've been going to Marta for 10 years and we used to only ever talk about travel and other random things. These days, since this journey has started, we talk about stuff like this and all the other books we read. What an incredible shift and I'm so glad we do as I feel like we know each other on a deeper level. I would have never, most likely, picked up this book on my own or asked her that question without this journey and quest that my own "I Can't Imagine" event of losing my daughter sent me down.

Life has crazy ways of working its magic that brings us to these moments. Do not be afraid of work that doesn't end and you will be shocked at the places it takes you.

Question: What's the one book that you learned the most from in your life?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - The Warmth of Other Suns

YOML Bookstore - The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson