The Journey is the Inspiration: Ellie Crosby

Ellie Crosby was the Dan Eldon Legacy visionary (not intern) at Creative Visions this summer. Today is her last day, so as her final task, we asked her to write a blog post about how Dan has inspired her. Ellie, thank you for all your hard work and dedication to share Dan’s story with the world. You will be missed!

I often find myself concerned with issues so vast that they feel unsolvable. I am suffocated by the amount of suffering that persists in the world around me. The mistreatment of laborers, the continuation of human trafficking, the need for better healthcare, the shortage of food, the want of clean water, and the overall detriment of the human condition taunts me with the idea that the task of solving human suffering is too big to change and even too big to approach. As I learn more about the world, I am more inclined to take action towards help, but I am also left with an aching wonder as to how it can be accomplished.

This summer, I learned from Dan Eldon that creative activism makes a huge impact. Dan is a spirit that embodies an innovative and vivacious life. He experienced more of the world in his 22 years than most people experience in 60 years. He entered each community with a desire to know people and he found a way to not only understand the feelings of the people he encountered, but also to engage with those people in their hardship.

I have worked closely with Dan’s journals. Every page overflows with life, as he was transfixed with the world surrounding him, teeming with excitement and adventure. To me, he is more than just a distant memory or a pile of old journals. His spirit lives on in my desire to change the world and to eradicate suffering. Dan is an encouragement to global understanding, compassion, and adventure. He provides a hope that I can make a change.

I am thankful for a summer of exploring the world of Dan, through the pages of his journals. So, thank you Dan for the love, understanding, and creativity through which you lived and thank you for your spirit that lives on as a hope for me and for the world.

Ellie Crosby