Your gun's digging into my hip...

Its a strange feeling to know that something you've worked on for about nine months is about to come to fruition. Fruition, meaning that you leave to spend two years in a far-away African nation. My departure for the Peace Corps service has always seemed so distant, and now as it bears down on me it gives pause to think. Anxious? yes. Nervous? yes. Confident? yes. As a wise man at 3rd and Lincoln once said, "I'm a cascading waterfall of emotion". I think that it is normal and very necessary to feel a little anxious and nervous. If you didn't feel this then you wouldn't make any attempt to prepare yourself for the challenges to be faced. Going to a country where you are not fluent in either one of the two languages should make a person nervous. The confidence comes into play when you know that you have a solid background in French and that with a little time and effort, you will be able to speak, listen, write and read. Going off to work with people you don't know in a country that most people couldnt find on a map will make a person anxious. Again, I am confident in my ability to relate to people, make friends, and learn the values and customs of my new exotic home. There will be tough times, but there will also be great times that will make the whole experience worthwhile. It's upon me and I'm getting more excited by the day.

This weekend should be a great time as my good friend Jason Seaman rolls through on his way to a new life in Beaver Creek, CO. A night in Lawrence and some Plaza art fair should be a good way to show him how we roll out here in the heartland.

Also, Konstantin Dierks, a history professor of mine at IU, forwarded this article to me by Mark Danner, which was printed on the fourth anniversary of 9/11. While I do not agree with all that Danner argues, I think that Danner articulates some very good and thought provoking points. I urge those periodically checking out this blog to give it a read. It’s long and but don’t let this deter you as it is worth a few extra minutes away from the TV.

http://www.markdanner.com/nyt/091105_taking.htm

Whether you agree or disagree with Danner, it’s important to read a well thought out, as well as well written piece. Too many of us rely on what we hear and have been brought up to believe, and refuse to look at an alternative opinion. Whether it's regurgitating what we heard on Limbaugh/Fox News, or the applied peer pressure to hate Bush like all the other lemmings in collegetown, USA, too many of us listen and then talk without really knowing what we’re saying. Read this piece and then make your own conclusions about the war in Iraq.

Hopefully this isn't too political, as my main reason for posting this is because it is thought provoking.

Cheers,

Logan



**The contents of this blog are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the US government or the Peace Corps.