DEDICATING THIS YEAR TO THE MEMORY OF MY GRANDFATHER STANLEY H. CROW &
THE ENDURING SPIRIT OF MY GRANDFATHER
FREDERICK O. LANPHEAR

To Be of Use

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.
The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.
~ Marge Piercy ~


Friday, March 5, 2010

Why Norway?

I have traveled abroad before, having been to the United Kingdom with my family in 2008. We spent two weeks touring England, Scotland and Wales. It was a wonderful experience. The year prior to that we had an exchange student from Norway living with us. It didn't take long for me to love CC (Siril) as my sister and she always said that I could come stay with her family when I was ready. So, I'd like to take her family up on that offer. Her parents, Astrid and Odd Tore came to visit us in Seattle, along with her sister Sunniva in the spring of 2007 and I really loved them. They are such fun people! We hiked on Mt. Rainier and ate at wonderful restaurants. So, they have graciously agreed to host me this next year and I am so excited to go and share a family life with them in Norway and learn about their culture. They are wonderful people.

My family has a rich history of traveling abroad in service. All of my grandparents, and my parents, aunts and uncles have lived in third world countries where they have served working with local people to make their lives better. These countries include India, Kenya, Peru, Korea, Tonga, and The Marshall Islands. I want very much to be a part of that tradition and I think a year abroad will help me to have a more global perspective. I know that if I can see more of the world I can have a much deeper appreciation for what it means to be a global citizen and be of service.

My family is very supportive of my desire to travel and see the world. If anything I think they wish I was going to a third world country, but my family knows that any experience outside of ones home country is helpful in building a greater global perspective.

Having been a part of a host family for AFS I really do understand the struggles that a student can have coming into a new situation. I think for me it's comforting to know that I will be living with people that I know, but I am aware that there will be many challenges and that I will have to keep an open mind. I know there will be times when I am homesick for the things that bring me comfort. The challenge will be to work through that discomfort and find new ways to balance life.

I'm really looking forward to this adventure and hope that I can record on this blog for you some of those experiences. It's only roughly five months away, so there is a lot of work to be done!

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