Excursion

I began my morning with these wonderful people. What better way to enjoy an educational vacation of sorts then with people you love. People whose company is pleasurable. 

After a hilarious and adventurous ride, we land at the National Hansens Disease Museum. Here I learned the actual pathophysiology of how leprosy devastates the body. Interesting fact: bones are actually absorbed by the body when affected by the bacteria that causes leprosy.

The Hanson disease museum began its treatment facility in  1894. Up until just a couple months ago, thousands of people called this home. They had jobs, entertainment, and some married within the community.

Armadillo's carry the bacteria mycobacterium leprae. Only a very small  percentage actually are susceptible to the disease. The mycobacterium leprae must have an animal host in order for a person to actually contract the disease.

Leprosy has a huge stigma. People are afraid of what they don't know and understand. With the advancement in science, a trilogy of pharmaceuticals treat the affects of Hanson's.

It was heart wrenching knowing that these people were forced to stay here. Once a person entered the facility, they were not allowed to leave. Most knew nothing other than the walls and inner perimeter of this community. To not be able to experience life outside this. To not be able to know the world from another perspective. To not be able to breathe in the culture and life that is much more than what was given to them. To be afraid. To have others afraid of you. To be shunned from the world. Life is funny. In an almost cynical way. The cards that we are dealt may not be what we want or expect. We have to take we can get from this world, and use it to our advantage. Be grateful for what we have. Learn from what we have experienced. And most importantly, educate. Educate those around you. Educate about everything. Knowledge is a powerful resource that is underutilized. When afraid of something, learn about it. Gain a foundation of information. Lessen the worry. Lessen the unknown, uneasy feeling. Learn. Don't ever stop asking questions. People's life, and your own, depend on it.

Ending on that note, we take a walk into another part of history of isolation and neglect. The Whitney Plantation. Where slaves were forced to live their lives working. Following the beat of a bell to determine where next destination will be. Life on the plantation was less than glamorous.

Whitney Plantation church still active today.

Sculptural depiction of enslaved children during this time. Note the long, sad faces. The spirit is dead within. The childlike spark engraved in most children is lacking.

In commemoration of those that dedicated their lives to the work of others is pictured here. So many names. Very little information. Slaves were seen as items. To be traded, sold, and worked, literally to death. An overwhelming sadness came over me as I read through the wall. 

As the bell toles, the slaves followed. The bell represents the day in the life of an enslaved person. The bell would ring, and the people would move to their next destination. If they didn't listen, they would be jailed and beat.

A panoramic view of the plantation.

A typical plantation slave home.

These are jail cells. Slaves were punished here. They were also placed in these cells and put up for auction.