Hope. A word with one meaning and far too many significances based on the person you ask, based on that moment in time, based in that frame of reference as a result of struggles, experiences, joys.
WIthin each of us resignates some form of hope. For some moments in time, the hope can be buried in the depth of our soul as we quest to receive an understanding of our own adversities. Latino, black, asian, middle-eastern, woman, age, foreigner, poor, undereducated, educated, gay, mixed race, orphan. The list could go on and on for our adversities which may be inflicted upon us everyday. Inflicted to point in which open wounds are left that continuously try to heal but never can due to day to day infliction. Despite the infliction, we can find a way to rise up in a hope. A hope in which things will get better; in which change will bring progress of equality and a better life.
It resignates within each of us through different means, some have more hope than others but it is still there.
Here I am 15 months into my peace corps journey. I reflect open my thoughts when i was applying to peace corps. Grandeur thoughts of grassroot community change. Inspiring hope among those around me that if we believe and work hard enough, poairive change will better our communities. I had hopes that emerging into another culture the support and different perspective I offered would assist in new creative ideas brought together by the community.
15 months later....
What hope I had in creating this great positive idealist change!! Don’t get me wrong, a great deal of change has occurred...within myself. As I reflect on my service I think of what i have done or haven’t done, the famous roller coaster ride of peace corps. I am astounded by the amount of hope retained within myself and in a culture so foreign to my own where i can get myself out of bed to do work. Peace Corps can be taxing on a volunteer because we serve as our own motivation, there is no one telling us to get out of bed, no one to tell us what to do, no one running up to us jumping with excitement to learn about the consequences of burning your trash or how to instill grassroots community change. The number of hours a volunteer puts in wandering aimlessly to clap at someone’s house, share some terere and explain what a Yanqui is doing in their community and despite popular belief, not spying on the community (Thank you Wikileaks). With this said, a plethora of hours are spent getting to know people, sharing gallons of terere based on the hope that we can create some small positive change.
It is beyond miraculous to see the hope that still lies within us during those dark times where we don’t find a reason to get out of bed but after a time, we get up and continuously give it a new try.
This is what my experience thus far has given me. Despite how dark of a place I am in, the adversities I face, hope is what keeps me going. Not the hope particularly that I will create a revolutionary type environmental program, but the hope that someone will be positively affected by me. The hope that my experiences are evolving me into a better person through wisdom obtained from Paraguayans or other volunteers.
Everyone wants to make a difference in the world but developing this difference is the most difficult challenge. Within each of us lies the hope and it is up to each of us to use this to inspire ourselves and those around us that positive change CAN occur. How do we think Obama is so successful, he founded his campaign and his career on the ideals of HOPE and ‘Change we can believe in.’
Sometimes books we read help to keep faith that the small successes we have are really worth it in comparison to the immense challenges faced.
Happy New to year to everyone, 2011, the year I will be home...
WIthin each of us resignates some form of hope. For some moments in time, the hope can be buried in the depth of our soul as we quest to receive an understanding of our own adversities. Latino, black, asian, middle-eastern, woman, age, foreigner, poor, undereducated, educated, gay, mixed race, orphan. The list could go on and on for our adversities which may be inflicted upon us everyday. Inflicted to point in which open wounds are left that continuously try to heal but never can due to day to day infliction. Despite the infliction, we can find a way to rise up in a hope. A hope in which things will get better; in which change will bring progress of equality and a better life.
It resignates within each of us through different means, some have more hope than others but it is still there.
Here I am 15 months into my peace corps journey. I reflect open my thoughts when i was applying to peace corps. Grandeur thoughts of grassroot community change. Inspiring hope among those around me that if we believe and work hard enough, poairive change will better our communities. I had hopes that emerging into another culture the support and different perspective I offered would assist in new creative ideas brought together by the community.
15 months later....
What hope I had in creating this great positive idealist change!! Don’t get me wrong, a great deal of change has occurred...within myself. As I reflect on my service I think of what i have done or haven’t done, the famous roller coaster ride of peace corps. I am astounded by the amount of hope retained within myself and in a culture so foreign to my own where i can get myself out of bed to do work. Peace Corps can be taxing on a volunteer because we serve as our own motivation, there is no one telling us to get out of bed, no one to tell us what to do, no one running up to us jumping with excitement to learn about the consequences of burning your trash or how to instill grassroots community change. The number of hours a volunteer puts in wandering aimlessly to clap at someone’s house, share some terere and explain what a Yanqui is doing in their community and despite popular belief, not spying on the community (Thank you Wikileaks). With this said, a plethora of hours are spent getting to know people, sharing gallons of terere based on the hope that we can create some small positive change.
It is beyond miraculous to see the hope that still lies within us during those dark times where we don’t find a reason to get out of bed but after a time, we get up and continuously give it a new try.
This is what my experience thus far has given me. Despite how dark of a place I am in, the adversities I face, hope is what keeps me going. Not the hope particularly that I will create a revolutionary type environmental program, but the hope that someone will be positively affected by me. The hope that my experiences are evolving me into a better person through wisdom obtained from Paraguayans or other volunteers.
Everyone wants to make a difference in the world but developing this difference is the most difficult challenge. Within each of us lies the hope and it is up to each of us to use this to inspire ourselves and those around us that positive change CAN occur. How do we think Obama is so successful, he founded his campaign and his career on the ideals of HOPE and ‘Change we can believe in.’
Sometimes books we read help to keep faith that the small successes we have are really worth it in comparison to the immense challenges faced.
Happy New to year to everyone, 2011, the year I will be home...
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