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May
31, 2005
 This
morning just felt good from the start.
My
friends call me Uncle Arthur all the time because
they say I act like an old man. While others are staying
up late talking, I'm asleep. I guess my nine hours
of sleep the night before had me feeling fresh and
rejuvenated. I awoke early and was off to the hotel
cafeteria to start the day with a fresh cup of coffee,
original that is, not decaffeinated. Then, it was
straight to the serving line where I had an omelet
made to order. I'm talking about ham, bacon, sausage,
onions, green peppers and tomatoes, topped with a
little Tabasco and Picante sauce. At IHOP, they like
to call it a Colorado Omelet, but I take pleasure
in referring to it as a Lake Charles, Louisiana, Car
Shop Omelet.
On
today's agenda, we were scheduled to visit Robben
Island, but only if the weather permitted. The Robben
Island prison is the place where Nelson Mandela and
other South African political leaders were thrown
into jail during the apartheid era. On days like today,
you remember to thank God for the little stuff, like
sunshine, so you can have an opportunity to visit
one of the most historical sites in the world.
I must start by saying that the ferry ride was absolutely,
positively amazing! Being from Lake Charles, La.,
it's not often that you get to see seals swim swiftly
and gracefully along side you. It's not often you
can literally reach up and touch a seagull. South
Africa is so full of beauty and richness—it's
not even funny.
As soon as we stepped off the boat, the emotional
energy was almost scary. The mood was very solemn—at
least it was for me. When I walked through the gates
of the museum, a train of penguins greeted me. Robben
Island houses the second largest penguin colony in
the world. I guess information like this just continues
to prove my mother correct when she so frequently
tells me, "You learn something new everyday."
Our tour guide was a former Robben Island inmate who
spent 11 years of his life in the prison. During the
tour, I asked him why did he spend all of his days
working as a tour guide at the same place he spent
11 years of his life. He replied, in his unique African
accent, "Someone has to do it." For some
reason, that hit me real hard. I often times feel
that when it comes to helping others, if I don't do
it, then who will? His statement kind of reinforced
for me why I feel so strong about serving others.
The impact was strongest when I stood directly in
front of Nelson's Mandela's cell, number five in the
B section, which was reserved for political prisoners.
Sections A and C housed criminal prisoners. I think
what affected me the most was to hear how these prisoners
were actually treated. Some of the things they had
to endure, I wouldn't wish on a dog.
It was heart breaking to look at the cement floor
where Mr. Mandela slept without a cot or anything
for cushion. It was enormously troubling to look at
the five-gallon bucket that Mr. Mandela had to use
for both urination and defecation because there was
no toilet in his cell. Who can imagine having to smell
something like that two feet away from you all night
long until the following morning when you were allowed
to empty and clean your waste bucket? I sometimes
have a tendency to be "Mr. Tough" or "Mr.
Nothing Bothers Me," but anyone who has a heart
couldn't help but feel that.
In just two hours, visiting this museum uplifted my
thinking and instilled in me a sense of humility that
no pledging process of six weeks or more could ever
do. I often tell many of my friends and acquaintances,
things that a person experiences only teaches them
if they are teachable. I have been taught so much
that it would be foolish and very selfish of me not
to share this experience with someone else. I am truly
blessed.
Arthur
Woodard '05, from Lake Charles, Louisiana, graduated
two weeks ago from Morehouse College with a bachelor's
degree in computer science.
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