Roel

To this day, Jane Goodall’s passing is one that has marked me deeply. And it’s because I feel such an intense connection to this woman.
When I was a sophomore in college working in the United States House of Representatives, part of our job was going through a mountain of publications — National Geographic, The Economist, CNN — on top of handling everything coming in from our constituents. I remember one of my early months on the job, a National Geographic edition came in featuring her, promoting the documentary being made about her life. Something in me didn’t want to throw it away. So I read it.
And then I left work, rushed to an indie movie theater near George Washington University, and watched that documentary alone. It was one of the few times in my life I felt truly inspired.
Not because I care about chimpanzees and the environment the way she did — I won’t pretend otherwise. But because of who she was as a human being. The way she completely changed the paradigm of what it means to be human. The way she moved science forward. The way she carried on in her career and her life without asking for permission. She was the first. She was bold. She was courageous. And she never said no to what she believed in.
She is one of the people I have admired most in this world. One of the greatest humans of our lifetime. And I am grateful to have existed at the same time as her.
Rest in peace Jane Goodall. Thank you for everything you gave to so many people — boys and girls all across the world.
#JaneGoodall #Inspiration #Coraje #Coragem #Gratitude​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​