I know I have not written here in a while, but sadly, it’s 3:48 AM and this won’t be a very informative entry. I’m only writing it since I can’t stop thinking enough to be able to fall asleep. Which is not good. Because I have to wake up in 4.5 hours for work…
I’m 95% sure that I will be quitting my job relatively soon and going down to the Gulf Coast for a month to rebuild homes, or clean up yards, or do anything else I can to help.
After a long period of thinking—which continues in a still rather muddied way—I have come to the conclusion that what I’m doing right now (and by “what I’m doing” I do not mean only work) is not what I want to be doing. It’s not specifically that I don’t want to be working at the hotel, but I think it is that I don’t want to be doing something that isn’t creating a net increase of good in the world. This realization, which I think has been latent in me at least since junior high, maybe high school, is something I plan to focus on much more over the summer, next year, and for the rest of my life.
Right now, I just have to figure out how many more weeks I will have to work in order to pay off my car insurance, the plane tickets I’ll need, and the other various expenses that will inevitably present themselves in a far-away city with no one I know around to help.
I plan on ditching both my phone and my computer for that month, so getting in touch with me may be difficult; you’ll probably have to leave a message with my parents. But I’ll have more details on that when I work it out. I’ve got a lot of planning to do.
Right now, as long as the financial side of the planning allows it, I would like to leave towards the end of June. I’ll have to be back in Massachusetts by the end of July for jury duty, which I had already confirmed before I left Wes.
If anyone has worked with any organizations assisting in Katrina/Rita recovery, or knows anyone who has worked or is working down there, please let me know. Also, depending on the organization, I may be asking you for a small charitable donation to cover some of my costs, since leaving my job quite obviously means I’ll not only be making no money towards school next year, but will also be losing money due to food/shelter expenses that I can’t actually afford right now.
Anyway, these are very rough thoughts at the moment. I hope to provide you with a full update on summer life so far, and how this whole life-reevaluation thing came up, and where I see myself going in the short-term future. For now, though, I need to get to bed.
5 Comments
Wow! Glad to hear that you’re doing some thinking and getting yourself figured out. I hope everything works out, it sounds like you’re in for a remarkable summer. Too bad about the jury duty, though.
Also a wow! This reminds me of a general struggle I’ve been having lately, as I try to figure out what I want to do after I graduate. Sometimes it seems hard or almost impossible to reconcile making enough money to get by with the things you need and want, with doing something that is good – or even at least neutral. This sounds like a great way to find yourself – I kind of regret that my own summer plans aren’t going to help me do the same.
You may want to talk to Laura – she went down to New Orleans spring break freshman year. Rachel Berkowitz and Jamal and some other people went with the WesCF this past spring break on a service trip, too.
*hughughugs* this sounds wonderful. good luck getting it all worked out and such!
ps. if you decide you want to visit wes at any point, there are always places for you to stay
p.p.s. I can buy the toilet paper next year if that cuts down on your money worries at all
i really like nice toilet paper :X
Good going! People need to go out and do something for those that can use some help. All too often in our society people look to government to bail them out. The only organization I know is Habitat for Humanity but you’ll need to deal with their religious stuff; however, you are good with a hammer. They should provide some food and shelter which will help with your expenses. If you need a contribution let me know.
actually a group from my church is going down to Mississippi to “back bay mission”, which is a hurricane relief thingy. its sortof a base out of which many other groups (both spiritual and secular) go and do releif work..i can get you more info if you want.
do you nicole gilles? she was in our class but left 2nd semester sophomore year to permanently work in new orleans. pretty brave stuff. even though you mentioned habitat for humanity, i can try to see where she’s working because apparently she’s really happy now.