“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
On the last day of class, a professor left our section with the following words: "Unpack your bags."
My grandmother moved from a village to New Delhi, sixty miles away. My mother traded a small circle in India for a small circle in the U.S. I, on the other hand, have cupped the world in my hands and skipped across it with a kind of privilege and abandon that neither of them could have dreamed of. Working in a rural village in Thailand, supporting a union in South Africa, and consulting for companies in Brazil? Check, check, and check.
But I also want to feel rooted in a particular place. I want to know local politics, local food, and local landscapes. I want to know the history of the building on the corner of my street, and know the paths and people in my neighborhood.
I want to build an organization, a community, and a family, each with roots that run deep.
My grandmother moved from a village to New Delhi, sixty miles away. My mother traded a small circle in India for a small circle in the U.S. I, on the other hand, have cupped the world in my hands and skipped across it with a kind of privilege and abandon that neither of them could have dreamed of. Working in a rural village in Thailand, supporting a union in South Africa, and consulting for companies in Brazil? Check, check, and check.
But I also want to feel rooted in a particular place. I want to know local politics, local food, and local landscapes. I want to know the history of the building on the corner of my street, and know the paths and people in my neighborhood.
I want to build an organization, a community, and a family, each with roots that run deep.
— Sonali Duggal