The Privilege of A Lifetime

The Privilege of A Lifetime

Life is something else in Ethiopia. Time stretches… and droops over the weeks and months.

The winter is dry and bright and the summer rains saturate my ambitions.

It makes me so mad sometimes to be swindled,

To be lost in translation

And foreigner money expectations.

To be whistled at and called “hey you, money money!” more times in a day than I care to count.

When I really do try very hard to make things work

for the benefit of others.

But sometimes they expect per diem,

They expect I will provide something magical like

I have bottomless pockets and the solutions for all life’s hardships.

…I don’t.

But…I still love the freedom in Ethiopia. Freedom from the USA daily grind,

No credit card bills, traffic jams, constant flashing streams of unavoidable overwhelming technology.

No, here there are Cows and goats in the streets, old men sitting at the corner playing cards and chewing chat. It is easy to just

 …relax..

to be master of my own day…

to have the respect (or at least the attention) of those I work with.

And now after a year of getting my hands dirty and getting things done..

 I deserve that respect, at least a little.

I don’t just get it based on the color of my skin,

but on the content of my character.

And I am so privileged to be here and have all my basic needs taken care of.

To have the privilege to experience something really truly special.

And the PCV Ethiopia privilege is so so very unique.

To have this once-in-a-lifetime experience and opportunity when so

many in the world are out of work, are without basic necessities.

It is to be cherished…

In good times and in bad

This is what builds character.

There is no Peace Corps reporting form for character development

But it is the biggest thing I think.

Realizing just how fortunate I am to be born into a caring family in a wealthy country.

It is my responsibility to share what I have here.

My energy, my possessions, my heart.

Positivity and energetic attitude can be as valuable as money in a place where many people have been born into a society of defeated spirits.

For some Ethiopians they seem unable to dream a different and better life for themselves.

As an American I am never short on dreams and ambitions.

The ability to self-educate through a simple internet search I will never take for granted again.

So…..I Keep pushing forward, finding those who share my passion; dropping those who don’t.

Time here is too short to be frustrated with what is wrong, I must find what is right.