Purity & Innocence

Courtesy of Natalie Souchon

I received this picture from Natalie, a dear friend of mine who works in Tibet now. According to her experience, it seems quite fun teaching there, though it is a difficult place to live in.

I don't know the name of this little girl, but looking at her pure innocent face really makes me feel peaceful. It has this magical power that could sweep aside my frustration and pressure. Aren't children pure and innocent? Yes, they are, but sometimes I just feel that kids living in the big cities are not as pure and innocent as those living in remote areas.

Being a teacher living in the city, I truly feel sad for the city children nowadays. They are not easy to teach, and they are not willing to learn, either. They have spent too much time on T.V., video games and the Internet. They have been busy with things that are not what they should be doing at their age. They are not having a decent childhood. The adults are forcing them to grow up as soon as possible so that they can compete with other children. They are not happy, and they become so material that should not be seen in children.

This little face in the picture is so different from those city faces. Her kind of sad looking only highlights her innocence. She seems reluctant to be the focus of the camera, and this reluctance is clear and simple to capture. Unlike this one, expressions of city children are always mixed with adult ones they learned from soap operas and commercials. Sometimes we may think that their cunning expressions are cute, but this in fact becomes such a hassle when you have to deal with it everyday. Why can't they just act like normal children? I believe they can't becuase they have been deprived of their childhood by us, the adults. As a consequence, we are responsible for their lost of childhood.

Thanks to Natalie for sending me this nice picture. She is born to be an artist. She captured the right angle at the perfect moment that intensifies the girl's pure eyes and her innocent reluctance. I think she should carry on her creation in the arts. Lastly, I wish this pretty girl a bright and fruitful future.