June Wakes Up In Cambodia

June from Stockholm, Sweden visited Cambodia for a month. A tight bundle of burning anxieties. “I don't know what I’m running away from. I don’t know what I'm running toward.    “I want to cut all my hair off,” she said. She went to a salon. “I feel lighter now, transformed.”    June experienced a Khmer village. They’d converted a two-story building into a school. “What do you need?” she asked the village chief. “We need clean drinking water.” She bought a water purifier. “We need electricity after 6 p.m.” She purchased a battery so they’d have lights after dark.    June unloaded her honesty, anxieties and fears, “I feel good doing this, I've never done anything like this before. My past life was all about anger. Way too many problems and conflicts. Now that I’m in Cambodia, what, less than a week, I’m beginning to learn about myself, seeing how my life was empty with no meaning. How it was all about pleasing others, buying useless things to make myself feel better. I now feel more fulfilled.”    They stopped in a village. Young girls selling bamboo paper birds descended on them. “Buy something? Look at my things!”    June met Leaf, 13, in the 5th grade. Leaf learned English selling to foreigners at temples after school. She taught village kids English.    “I saw a leader in the girl’s eyes,” June said. “Maybe I can help her, give her an opportunity to really grow.”    June bought a brand new pink bike for Leaf. A bell, basket, the works. It said, NEW STAR on the chain guard. She bought a whiteboard, markers, 20 basic English books, picture dictionaries and story books. She returned to the village.    “Here Leaf all this is for you,” said June. “The bike will help you get to school, temples and home. The whiteboard, markers and books will help you teach English.”    Leaf smiled. “Thank you.” Kids discovered new images, words, ABC alphabets and colors.    “I feel real good about this,” June said, “I’ve made a small difference in a young girl’s life. I am so grateful.”