The Volunteer

So, in addition to the elections, I have been thinking a lot about volunteering and I thought writing might help me clear my head since I dont have my buddies around to talk to. I Really do miss my conversations over a stump, 5´clock FC, in front of HD, on the golf course, at Marina Park, the Washington St. Dinner Table, Apt 202, Lookout Point, The Hut, Ft. Miramar, in the Heep, etc. etc. etc. My grade school buddy Donimal told me writing can be an incredible form of clarity so here goes a rather different type of entry.

As philosophers tend to do, My strains of thought stem from a couple main points:

-I was dead set on joining the Marines at one point in my life
-I am volunteer teaching in Ecuador
-Two of my best friends on the planet are currently serving in the Marine Corps
-One of my lacrosse buddies got hit by a bomb while riding in a tank in Iraq and broke most of the bones in his body.
-One of my other best friends passed away when I was a Freshman in College
-I just finished reading Angels and Demons - a book that discusses the struggle of faith versus religion and destiny

First things first. Please please please keep my lacrosse buddy in your thoughts and prayers. I am so proud to know someone who served our country so nobly and know that he will recover to full strength. Likewise please also keep all of our young men who have chosen to participate in the War in Iraq in your hearts and minds whenever possible. I believe and wonder if anyone else honestly thinks that hope can sway an outcome. I remember talking to one of my grade school friends´Dads about craps one time. Funny this memory sticks in my head, but apparently it struck me at the time. He said that someone did a study of one craps player who hoped that he would roll his sevens and elevens, while another rolled just to be doing the action. Who came out ahead? The player who willed his dice to land on winning numbers. A second study tested virgin basketball players of equal athletic ability shooting free throws. One player went out and shot, one practiced for a half an hour then shot, and one visualized himself shooting free throws for a half an hour and then shot. Whose percentage was highest? The player who practiced and the player who visualized scored about equal, while the fly from the seat of your pants scored much lower. Maybe by chance, maybe by luck, but who knows? Maybe one can make a difference just by willing an outcome. At least that´s what I think.

I actually went to church on Sunday here in Ecuador for the first time since my arrival. Checked out the Basillica in Ibarra. Before I came to Ecuador I expected everyone to be obsessed with going to church, but what I have found is that more people concern themselves with spirituality, a notion that I myself have been entertaining in larger proportions ever since Richard left SMV. Both of my Ecuador families do not attend church, but they all have figurines of Mary and Jesus all over their houses, and pray every Sunday before meals. Obviously religion has caused many wars and conflicts over the years and has committed many other heinous atrocities. There is also a lot to be said for people who embrace their spiritual side in their own way to accomodate their own style. Spirituality is a powerful force and one that I am sure everyone embraces to some extent. I don´t think you are completely self-introspective if you haven´t considered issues for yourself such as destiny, fate, the spirit, or one´s place in the world. I once did an independent study where I interviewed people asking philisophical questions as they relate to the above ideals, and was shocked, intrigued, and impressed by the in-depth answers I received. People don´t often talk about their spirituality with others as it carries a taboo designation, which is obviously fine, but my guess is that it would be an easy common ground if struggling to find conversation on a first date or with someone´s grandparents.

On the other hand, being in a church still holds power over me. When I walk into a church and pray I feel different. There is, for me, a tangible presence in a building designated as ¨holy¨ that I can feel. I wonder if others have similar sentiments.

So, as I sat in church, unable to understand the inaudible Spanish ramblings about how the ten commandments could change my life, I considered my own situation and instantly experienced a saturation of random questions in my head. Had I gone to the Marines would I also be lying in a hospital after a crazy accident? Had I made the right choice? How can I protect my friends who are serving in the military? How can I help the situation in Ecuador? Should I help the situation in Ecuador? Am I making the right choices? Am I real?

Tuh. Philosophers have such a rough life. I majored in thinking about nothing.

My conclusions? Number one is stated above. I don´t care if you are anti-war, pro-war, pro-bush, anti-bush, pro-this, anti-that. We all should stand up, on any level, for our young men and women volunteering around the world. Support them wholeheartedly. As I see it people are completley separate entities from wars, third world countries, or political decisions and should be treated thus. Secondly, I want people to be aware that volunteering has brought these tough questions to my mind, and thus I would guess that others have thought similarly. When you cannot speak a language or are not receiving a large paycheck, what else is there to do but try to justify your situation?

It´s amazing that so many young people from my generation are setting out to make a difference in non normal walks of life. I have friends in the military, who have traveled to China, who helped with the Katrina effort, who spend their time dealing with life´s rejects, in Belize, who have traveled the world, who are volunteering to help Parkinson´s patients, who have been to Switzerland, who have hiked Patagonia, who have traveled to Thailand, the list goes ON and ON. Young people today care about others and really do want to experience life from all perspectives.

Today´s youth more and more are choosing to see our ever expanding world and its ever-expanding global culture. In addition, and more simply, youths just sincerely want to make a difference. The life of a volunteer is a bold choice filled with perils, questions, and doubts. However, I honestly believe that the people who have made such choices are doing the right thing for not only themselves, but everyone else as well. Such efforts, as I seem them are the best thing for our world´s culture, people, humanity, and status as participant in the universe. The people who end up in seemingly negative circumstances such as my friend from College or my lacrosse buddy must be asking themselves life´s tough questions. Who knows what the answers are specifically, but maybe, just maybe, the path is strewn with good will and an outpouring of support in any capacity possible.

Ah well. Kind of lost my train of thought there, and sometimes words cannot do thoughts justice. Hope you enjoyed an insight into the perspective of a transplanted person. Take care.

Signing off from Nowhere,

Kanedog