Every day we come across inspirational and amazing stories. None can be more inspirational than going from having only a single rat as a friend to not only leading a nation, but setting an example for world leaders across the globe. This story is that of the former president of Uruguay, José Mujica.
Mr. Mujica was once a political prisoner. This is not totally alien in the world of politics. One need only look at Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Mahatma Gandhi of India, Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, and several other heads of state who were once imprisoned for their political views and activities. The story of Mr. Mujica is that of endurance, both physical, and mental, and a true demonstration that no matter how bad things get, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Many moons ago, Mr. Mujica found himself as a political prisoner. this resulted in him spending several years in solitary confinement. During this time, he had nearly no human interaction. At a certain point him only friend was a rat, which he fed and looked after. For three years, he only emotional outlet was this single rodent. He looked after it so well, that it died of old age. Due to the fact that he had no other emotional outlet, he described the death of the measly rodent as the saddest day in his life.
The lesson here, folks, is that no matter how bad things get, even if you are stuck at the bottom of the well with only a rat for company, the situation can improve. It can improve to such a degree that you might not only become the leader of a country, but also inspire a change in attitude among politicians across the globe.
“Power does not change people. It only reveals to us who they really are” J. Mujica