The Life of a Twenty-Something...growing up.

MPAC Banquet

Tonight’s MPAC Banqet at the Long Beach Convention Center has inspired me to write and reflect on my evening.  I loved everything about tonight.  I couldn’t believe how amazing the speeches were, and how really wonderful an event it was.  It was so well put together, and it wasn’t tacky at all.  It was a highly professional, interesting, informative, inspirational event.

I think my most favorite thing tonight was listening to the keynote speaker, and his message of how we need to all do something useful for our community.  He was Dr. Rick Warren, a pastor at a church in Lake Forest, and he was so well spoken, so captivating, and had such a wonderful message to the crowd.  He told these stories that made me want to get out of my chair and do something useful and helpful for the rest of the world.  He told us that he has a church of about 100,000 worshipers total, and he knows all those people better than most people who run for office know their communities.  He knows their stories, he gives them advice, he knows their problems, their joyous stories, he knows everything about them.  He truly understands his community, and that was uplifting and inspirational to me.  I truly enjoyed his speech because he had ideas, he had gone out and tried to make his mark on the world.

Dr. Rick Warren not only focused his efforts in Lake Forest, CA, but he helps with HIV/AIDS education and treatment around the world.  Apparently, there are 15 million orphans in Africa affected by AIDS.  Can you imagine that?  15 million!  He heard that, and decided he is going to help those orphans, to help stop more people from becoming orphans.  He visits Africa, donates his time and money, so that he can improve their situations.  He speaking up there made me wish that I can one day go and volunteer around the world, spend a few weeks each year doing hands on work in places that I can make a difference.  I really hope that my career brings me success so that I can take off a few weeks at a time and help people.

I want to say what Dr. Rick Warren’s most amazing message was—he teaches people to be leaders.  It’s a good thing he does that, because that is what we need,  Giving monetary aid is great, but it doesn’t create jobs, it doesn’t urge people to do things to earn money, it encourages people to beg and expect money and food.

He said that in Rwanda, farmers there pick coffee beans for 65 cents a day, and those beans are in turn sold to Starbucks.  Those same farmers, picking coffee beans for pennies a day, can’t even afford to buy a cup of coffee should they choose to.  They make that little money.

Things need to be done about that.

PS, he is a damn good speaker.  He hosted a Presidential Debate, he will be doing the opening surmon at Obama’s inaguration, and he does just a ton of more amazing things (he wrote a best selling novel).

In addition to Dr. Rick, Salman Ahmad was invited alongside Melissa Ethridge.  The two sang a beautiful duet about peace.  Pretty surreal seeing a grammy award winner, and a singer whose from one of the BIGGEST bands in Pakistan’s history, and one who has made a huge impact internationally.

I came home and wiki’d Salman Ahmad (my sister was OBSESSED! We got a photo with him, and she was totally freaking out), and I was so amazed to learn about his philanthropic endeavors.  He educates Pakistanis about HIV/AIDS, he speaks at top Ivy League colleges, he works alongside the United Nations, he was invited to speak at Bill Clinton’s presidential library…he does so much!  I admire him for using his fame for good.  He dedicates his time and effort to help people, and to inspire people like me to want to do good.  Good job to both of them.

Deepak Chopra, another famous guy…I dunno what he’s famous for but I knew his name when I walked in the banquet hall.  I just wiki’d him too—he’s a doctor and an author.  He had a message that he had pre-recorded…and I think what I found most inspiring and uplifting about his message was… you can’t just donate money to poor countries, teaching them and educating them will make them stronger.  The US and the UN donated a ton of money, and the country is more impoverished than ever today.  The old saying “give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime” goes extremely well here.  Dr. Rick told us how Mosques and Churches in parts of Africa double as health clinics and centers where the local people help their community remain healthy.

So, overall, I think my biggest goal for 2009 is to spend at least a good 100 hours volunteering for these efforts, and to donate a good amount of money to organizations like MPAC and Islamic Relief.  They both do wonderful work.

Tonight was a wonderful experience.  I was happy also becaues Nick joined me.  I appreciated the fact that he found this evening so uplifting and informative.  I thought later that it’s so unfortunate that many of the young, Pakistani boys I know do not attend these meetings.  It isn’t a top priority for them, and I find that horribly sad.  These banquets and convetions are so beyond important to attend to educate yourself and to learn the importance of opening both your pocketbook and heart to organizations that do good things for the less fortunate around the globe.  I am happy that I have someone who  cares to attend these kinds of events, and formulates strong opinions and relates so well to the speakers.

That’s all for tonight.  :)