Making Room to Read - An Evening in Guelph with John Wood
May 17th, 2007 by bentley007
Wow! Friends and dear readers, I am not sure where to begin. Have you ever had one of those moments where things just click? You know…when for a fleeting second…you are completely self-aware and feeling fully alive in the present moment? I have just come from a speaking engagement with John Wood, and I cannot recall (rather sadly) the last time I felt this inspired by the wondrous beauty of the one thing that is common to all of us; our humanity.
A few short years ago, John was a well-to-do senior executive with Microsoft. You’ve heard of them, right? In the midst of a bout of corporate burnout, John decided to venture off to Nepal in an effort to bring his life back into balance. What he discovered on his journey was nothing short of his purpose in life. Believe it!
On his travels, John came upon a small village. After befriending one of the locals, he was given a tour of the villiage which included a visit to the local schoolhouse. While there, he discovered a desolate barren room known as the library. The strangely surreal part was that there were no books in this library. In fact, they were locked away in a small safe. When the teacher arrived, they unlocked the safe to discover a couple dozen books…for over 400 students! These were books left behind by thoughtful tourists and, while possessing inherent value, were hardly appropriate or appealing to young children.
Upon his return to America, John realized that it was well within his reach to affect positive change in world. The image of the empty library back in Nepal had a profound impact on John and with the help of family and friends, he made it his personal mission to do what he could to help those in third world countries break the cycle of poverty and depair through literacy. It never ceases to amaze me how the thoughts and actions of one individual can affect the lives of so many in so many ways. Allow me to share a few statistics with you (courtesy of John’s website). Since it’s inception, Room to Read has:
- Constructed 287 schools
- Established over 3,600 libraries
- Published 147 new local language children’s titles representing over 1.4 million books
- Donated over 1.4 million English language children’s books
- Funded 2,336 long-terms girls’ scholarships
- Established 117 computer and language labs
While it may seem out of reach for many of us to do what John has done, I want to assure you that it is not. We can all play some role in making the world a better place. We can engineer reality, not only for ourselves, but for those less fortunate. It all begins with our thoughts. Thought IS Action. I, personally, am still searching for my one true mission in life. The event last night was just another reminder that great things are possible when people allow themselves to dream…when they let go of fear and uncertainty…and when they realize that they have the power to initiate change.
John’s initial goal was to deliver a few hundred books back to that small village in Nepal. A few short years later, he has raised millions of dollars, build countless schools, and established thousands of scholarships. He has given an entire generation of children the prospect of a bright and prosperous future; a future completely unknown to the generations before them. If you are interested in learning more about John’s work, or you would like to get involved, please visit www.roomtoread.org.
Thank you kindly to Tim Nye and Family for sponsoring this inspiring event.
