Cambodian hero

Something great about being a journalist-in-training is I get to meet some interesting people, much like I will when the career begins.
In the last two weeks, while also trying to keep up with some village news on my beats, I interviewed a World War II veteran for the first time and a man who had just returned from Cambodia, where he tested his invention, a reworked 1947 Farmall tractor that now is perfect for destroying land mines.
Although the WW II veteran was a great interview on a personal level - I have a history minor only because of my interest in the war - the guy from Crystal Lake, Ill., who went to Cambodia had me thinking about a lot of things.
Gary Christ went to Cambodia to help with sewer and septic systems about 6 years ago. When he returned, however, the inventor set to work on something that could help ease the problems of Cambodia.
Past wars have made the country a virtual bed of land mines. The ratio of amputees to residents is staggering with 2003 estimates at 1 in every 290 people.
But what got me thinking is, here's a guy who does not have to do this. He did not invent the machine to become rich. He did it because he wanted to help.
What stops me from helping others in the same manner? Sure, right now, I'm not going to take a trip to Cambodia and solve the land mine problem.
But at least I can take comfort knowing that some day I will have the chance to help, even if it is just on a local level.
And had I not taken my path toward journalism, I probably would never have met this man.