This past week has been a whirlwind of a trip for me. Taking advantage of a week off from summer lectures, I decided to do a little traveling around the Nordic with big stops like Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallinn on my list. The entire week, I felt like I was in my own little bubble as I explored endless cobbled streets and checked off the "must-see" places and sights that I had dog-eared in my guidebook.
Each night I would retreat into my tiny closet of a hotel room, prop up my exhausted feet, and turn on the BBC world news. There's a lot going on right now. There's a lot of tragedy and hate and events that I just can't wrap my head around. These are stories that covered almost every day and, what's worse, is that these are so much more than just stories. They are people and this is the real world that we live in. And my biggest fear is that this becomes a new "normal."
My roommate while I was abroad told me that she doesn't like to watch, read, or listen to the news because she doesn't like hearing about the tragedies that seem to come one right after another. I don't agree. Ignoring these things won't make them go away. To simply turn off the TV or ignore the newspaper is an act of injustice.
I was reflecting on this during one of the days that I was in Stockholm and I happened to stumble upon the Nobel Museum dedicated to all honored globally by the Nobel prizes. The people pictured in the museum and the inventions and contributions proudly displayed are truly the greatest of the great and it gave me hope. The museum offers these incredible 5-to-10 minute testimonies or mini-documents that highlight award winners throughout the decade. I sat fascinated by scientific theories and innovations that I could never hope to understand, literature that I had never encountered (but are now on my reading list), and stories of overcoming constant struggle. I got goosebumps on several occasions and teared up during a Holocaust survivor's testimony of coping after the war. It was incredible and well worth the 100 kronor for admission.
I think the thing that strikes me the most is that these people that we honor as Nobel award winners weren't out to change the world. They didn't start their work, their studies, or their passions knowing that they'd make such an astounding impact that would be felt for years to come. What they did start with, however, was a problem (whether in medicine, science, or simply in society around them) and the right attitude. Regardless of language, culture, or background, they were able to make significant contributions to all of humanity. The idea of helping others and overcoming a challenge is universal and a uniquely human characteristic. That gives me hope.
