Chapter the Second: So, Are You Excited?

          You know you have hit a certain point in life when the generic greeting you receive is ‘So, are you excited?’ Turns out there are many polite ways to answer in the affirmative.   I know this because over the last couple of days that sentence has been replaced with the typical “how are you today.”  So far, said responses tend to range from genuine to the kind of small talk that needs to be concluded in three sentences or less.  Preferably less.   Sincerely though, how many times in a five minute span can one be asked that question?  Furthermore, how many five minute spans will occur during the day?  The answer… at least once a minute for every half hour of the day depending on how many people one comes in contact with during that twenty-four hour period.  

Currently, I am en route to the staging event in Philadelphia where my fellow Trainees are waiting.  There is no doubt in my mind some variation of the question of excitement will be raised more than once for every trainee present.  In fact, about half of the sentences that involve the subject of being in an excited state will not actually be questions.  Instead, it will be boisterous rounds of cheering and chanting.  Yes, excitement will begin to manifest in the physical form.   It is not that I am against excitement in its various forms, quite the opposite in fact. It is just can we please talk about something else, anything else, including the weather.  

On that note , instead of telling you all how excited I may or may not be I will share with you some words of wisdom that a very dear friend passed along to me. (Insert shout out to Trevor S.) I love you , Buddy.  Thank you, and don’t ever stop being you.

Some things to think about pretty much full time.

I have no parents; I make the heaven and earth my mother and father.

I have no home; I make awareness my dwelling.

I have no life and death; I make the tides of breathing my life and death.

I have no divine power; I make honesty my divine power.

I have no means; I make understanding my means.

I have no magic secrets; I make character my magic secret.

I have no body; I make endurance my body.

I have no eyes; I make the flash of lightening my eyes.

I have no ears; I make sensibility my ears.

I have no limbs; I make promptness my limbs.

I have no strategy; I make “unshadow-ed by thought” my strategy.

I have no designs; I make “seizing opportunity by the forelock” my design.

I have no miracles; I make right action my miracle.

I have no principles; I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles.

I have no tactics; I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.

I have no talents; I make ready wit my talent.

I have no friends; I make my mind my friend.

I have no enemy; I make carelessness my enemy.

I have no armor; I make benevolence and righteousness my armor.

I have no castle; I make immovable mind my castle.

I have no sword; I make absence of self my sword.

Chapter the First: So Just Another White Person Going To Tell People How To Live

      Well, that is one way of looking at it.  Am I just another white person going abroad to tell people how they should live their lives?  Yes.  No. Maybe.  I suppose the answer is dependent on who you are and why are you looking at me.  Furthermore, thank you for letting me know.  The concept of being just another white person telling people how to live has crossed my mind many times.  Over the weekend a more than stranger but not quite friend took the time to verbalize her totally valid thoughts to me while we were not having sex (however that is a different story entirely).   My response..."No."  Followed by a beautifully executed change of subject.
       So, Lynly here are my thoughts on the subject of being another white person going abroad to tell people how to live.  On paper, the Peace Corps has three main goals...

                        1.  Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
                               2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of peoples served.
                               3.  Helping promote a better understanding of peoples served on the part of Americans.

      As it turns out, the world is not a book and what looks great on paper has ambiguous applications in reality.  Which is perfect.  I constantly get asked by complete strangers why I decided to join the Peace Corps.  Honestly, because I wanted to, and I tend to do the things that I want. Whatever that means.  Yes, I am still trying to figure that out myself.  Also, perfect due to an abundance of wiggle room.   This endeavor has one certainty and that is uncertainty.  Therefore, I intend to focus on the present moment.  It seems like the best way to go.  I am here, I am now.  What am I going to do about it?  Aside, from not have sex. (Also, another story entirely.)


And now some words of wisdom from my tea:

       "Books have the same enemies as people:  fire, humidity, animals, weather, and their own content."
                            
                                                                                                                          -Paul Valery (1871-1945)

Prologue: The Days That Were Before This One

A Brief History...

March 2010- Submitted application Peace Corps application.
March 17, 2010- Interview.
March 22,  2010- Received nomination for teaching English in Sub-Saharan Africa leaving in November of 2010.
April 2010-  Received medical packet.
May 2010- Did something with said medical packet.
July 2010- Had to pee in a cup.  Again.  Apparently there is a right way and a wrong way to pee in a cup.
July 2010-  Medical clearance granted.
July 2010- File sent to the Office of Assessment and Placement.
August 6, 2010- Extended the invitation to become a Peace Corps trainee.
August 10, 2010- Lesotho!!!!  November 2, 1010.  English Teacher.
October 12, 2010- No Lesotho... due to security reasons the training group was cancelled.  Frown.
October 13, 2010- Invited to join a group leaving for Guyana in February 2011 as a Community Education Promoter.
February 14, 2011- May or may not leave for Guyana.  Cautiously optimistic about it.