Number 87

by Gabrielle Tranter (Australia)

Making a local connection Vanuatu

Number 87 on my bucket list was to change someone’s life. This to me felt like something that would, essentially, be quite a long process or, in fact, impossible. To change one’s life, you’d imagine, would be quite difficult. Growing up in a materialistic society does increase the importance that we individuals place on tangible things. We assume that to “change one’s life” means to offer or give something of monetary value to another. Whilst this is flattering, I have learnt that it’s the intangible things that really make the difference. I travelled to Vanuatu with my family in 2015 to a place called Mystery Island. The island is uninhabited due to the natives’ belief and respect of the islands ghosts. However, during the day, the natives will travel by boat to welcome the tourists who arrive. The component that is embedded into my memory are the young children who we met. Not dressed to impress in Gucci or wanting the newest iPhone but actually desiring a conversation with people whom they had never met. These children did not have shoes, some wore clothes that were of a rather smaller fit yet they were the happiest individuals I had ever spoken to. They taught both me and my siblings how to make a crown out of flowers and their language. In exchange, we taught them to play touch football and some rather disgraceful dad jokes. An offer to join them for dinner had to be regretfully declined, but it was their generosity and easiness in their offer that warmed our hearts. There aren’t too many who would welcome strangers into their home and share a meal with them. Yet this is their attitude and way of life. It was explained to us by one of the children’s elders that “when you do not have much, you rely on the friends and family that you surround yourself with to make you feel like you are in abundance”. This really changed my perspective on life. As cliche as it is, I realised that the more one has, it’s almost the unhappier you will be. Sure it’s ok to want something, work hard for it and earn it. However, greediness and ego will be the undoing to a person’s happiness. Here I had just met these children who have grown up not being given the same access to education, healthcare, technology and freedom that I have had, yet are so happy. I understand that they wouldn’t know any different but coming from a country where you hear of so much negativity, violence and sadness, it is rather comforting to know that there are still many happy people on this Earth who are quite content. I suppose this is why I view these children as the ones with the most. At the end of the day no amount of tangible goods can make one happy, for it is the moments that are shared with our loved ones and the memories from those moments that will truly give our lives meaning and happiness. As you can tell, I’m still working on number 87. Yet it’s quite ironic how I wished to change someone’s life but it’s rather those children who have changed mine.