ENDEAVOR
One of the popular tourist attractions in scenic Japan is Nabana no Sato, a flower park in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, a 45-minute bus ride from Nagoya. Starting last Oct. 22, 2022, this spectacle of lights is open for public viewing for 221 days – or until May 31, 2023. My family visited it last April 1 and it was easily one of the most memorable highlights of our brief holiday.
As described in the Nagoya tourism website: “There are actually two tunnels and they are both breathtaking and amazing photo opportunities.
The first one is the long tunnel of 200 meters and it is in a beautiful yellow color every year. It is probably the longest tunnel of lights in Japan. The second tunnel is shorter at 100 meters and its theme changes from year to year with new colors to discover.” This year, the theme colors are green and purple.
As we entered the first tunnel, I recalled the phrase “thousand points of light” that was first used by President George Bush, Sr. in his 1988 campaign for the presidency. The phrase, written for Mr. Bush by Peggy Noonan and Craig Smith, became associated with his call to action to America’s clubs and volunteer organiza-tions that were likened to "a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky."
Another flashback led me to recall the story of Catherine Anne Aquino:
“When I was barely five years old…I went with my brothers to fetch water from the community pump, in our barangay in the fields of San Isidro, Davao Oriental. We were on a field far from the city…the only source of water then was a big pump with a big wheel shared by everyone in the neighborhood. One day, a bloody encounter be-tween the rebels and the military suddenly disrupted our water-fetching errand. Bullets were flying in all directions. Suddenly I was left all alone in the middle of a crossfire.”
She continued her narrative: “The only structure that saved me then was the big wheel that stood right next to where I was. I hid behind the Rotary wheel until someone rushed to pick me stayed up. I, a scared five-year old, was protected by a structure whose symbolism was unknown to me at that time. But the wheel was forever etched in my heart and became a part of my life from then on.”
Anne’s family eventually transferred to Davao City. She attended high school and eventually finished college at the Ateneo de Davao where she joined the Interact and Rotaract, youth organizations of Rotary International.
Decades later, she was invited by colleagues in the local ICT Council and chamber of commerce to join the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro East Urban. As she became involved in the club’s various community service pro-jects – and she contributed to The Rotary Foundation, she recalled the vivid memory of that day in the field when as a five-year old girl, she was shielded by the big wheel during a shooting encounter.
During his presidency, George Bush Sr. propagated the concept of volunteerism. He declared: “We can find meaning and reward by serving some higher purpose than ourselves, a shining purpose, the illumination of a thousand points of light… we all have something to give." This initiative was carried forward by his successors, namely: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as by former President Jimmy Carter.
All of these eminent American leaders are probably aware that as early as 1905, Paul Harris and three of his friends held the first meeting of a Rotary Club in Chicago, Illinois that has become what is probably the largest global volunteer service organization.
I have been a member of a Rotary Club since nearly four decades ago and have seen the tremendous power of little acts of kindness bringing about profound change. Rotary’s vision statement calls for unified action among men and women of goodwill: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”
From age five, the image of that big wheel that shielded her from gunfire, became etched in Anne Aquino’s mind. Then it was subconsciously revived when she joined the Interact and Rotaract in her teens until “a sense of higher purpose” prodded her to become a full-fledged Rotarian.
Such is the awesome power of a thousand points of light that radiate from the good deeds performed by volunteers who belong to service organizations.