Month: November 2018

With the recent murder of an American missionary who was trying to bring the word of god to a secluded tribe on an isolated Indian island, I feel like it’s a good time reflect on my short time with the peace corp and why I left. 

I can appreciate wanting to help people. It’s a good feeling to follow. But sometimes people get so caught up in wanting to “help” people that they don’t stop to ask themselves this simple question: Am I really helping? 

When I first signed up for the peace corp, it felt like a good option to get out of my comfort zone and make my life about something else for a while. I do have a desire to help people, but after I went through the Peace Corps training and spent some time in my community, I realized how little of that I’d actually be doing.

Ecuador is a developing country, but they’re not very far behind the good ole US of A. My host family had high-speed internet, smartphones, and laptops. What was I going to teach people who have access to all the worlds knowledge at their fingertips? The answer I finally came to, probably not much. 

Just before I was supposed to go to my assigned location in a remote banana farm (where they also had internet, computers, smartphones, and a small team of actual doctors), I stumbled across a wedding at one of the beautiful churches in downtown Quito. This wedding was amazing. Everyone was lavishly dressed and the women were decked with jewels. Obviously, a lot of money went into the whole endeavor. This got me thinking though, what are the wealthy locals doing to help their own? 

Then another thought occurred: Why have I come to a foreign country to give aid when my own communities in my own country could use a hand? Why have I traveled all this way to go live in a remote village for two years just to tell them to wash their hands, boil water, eat a balanced diet, and wear condoms?

The idea that just the presence of an American will somehow improve the lives of people in these remote areas is misguided and audacious. What has struck me about people from isolated places that I’ve encountered: They’re kind. They share. They live in the moment. They seem happier. They don’t need someone else to come tell them there is a better way to live. (It’s debatable if our way of life is even any better.)

I’d say we’re very self-centered in the US. I don’t mean in the way that people get caught up in their day to day routine and don’t think about the way other people live. People all over the world are just trying to live the best they can. I mean that most Americans I know actually think, no no, they know that our way of life is better. Many of us think that people all over the world envy us. Some do. Many don’t care. They’re busy living their own lives. 

America is a great place, but we’re faltering. We’ve fallen behind in several important areas such as education and even economic freedom. Imagine that. Land of the free doesn’t even break the top ten for freedom rankings. 

All great empires eventually fall. Usually right after they stop thinking they can learn anything from anyone else. I’m honestly pretty neutral about our current president (Trump), but I will say he strikes me as the kind of guy who only reads his own book if you know what I mean. We don’t have to continue on that path. 

I do believe that we should take care of our community first, and that just about all foreign aid or military presence is a waste. Missionaries traveling to places they aren’t welcome just to be murdered is a waste of life. We’ve backed the god of war and oppression for too long. Our influence is no longer respected. Our house is a mess. Until we get everything straightened out here, let’s just leave everyone else in the world the hell alone. They’re probably plenty happy and healthy without us anyway.  

 

Let’s start by saying that I am truly grateful. I have a beautiful wife, a decent job, a comfortable place to live, and a fridge full of food. What more could I ask for? It really is a great day to celebrate the fact that my ancestors had the forethought to come to the new world, full of opportunities, and take their rightful place as servants of the new world order.

I love being an American. It’s way better than being exploited by American interests. When you live in the US, there is so much going on that you hardly have time to think about anyone but yourself. Our culture of consumption and distraction really takes your mind off things like social responsibility.

Sometimes my head swims with everything that goes on in the world, but I have to tell myself not to worry about that.

Don’t think about the fact that we’re slowly destroying all the things that make the earth habitable.

Don’t worry about the alarming rate the population has grown for the last 100 years.

Don’t even consider that fact that no matter what we do, our solar system will one day collapse on itself and if we don’t find a way off this rock then our entire existence will have been in vain.

Just believe that the people in power have my best interests in mind. All I have to do is buy into everything that is pushed on me and I’ll be fine.

The funny part is, that’s actually true. If you just do what you’re told and say thanks for the opportunity to be part of this great machine, you’ll have a pretty good life. I can’t even blame people for going along. It’s a sweet deal.

Who cares about other animals and people all over the world anyway?

Can I really improve their quality of life by giving up things I take for granted?

Is it my fault that animal instinct leaves a deep-seated self-interest in us all?

Am I actually going to do anything to stop the implosion of the universe anyway?

What am I doing? This is a holiday. A tradition. A fantastic example of social engineering. A time to say thanks for all the wonderful things the world has bestowed upon me. Let me say grace and be thankful.

Thank you world for letting me be a white, middle-class, American, man, born in the 20th century, with a functioning brain, and adequate looks. It has made all the difference, and for that, I am truly grateful.