There are two things I learned from my summer in Chicago. One, I truly do enjoy Summer if only as a distinct separation between Spring and Autumn. This "summer," I did not get much from Chicago. The weather hardly topped 90 and rarely did I think that the day was hot. Only when I was in Dallas for a week to perform in a friend's wedding did I experience real heat, with temperatures surpassing 105. And Dallas was a great trip all around. I learned more about friendship there than anywhere, but that is for another time, after Africa.
The second thing I learned involves this blog. I realized over the summer I was going to Liberia, I just didn't know how.
Shortly after I heard about the Liberia trip I picked up some additional information from the church. It detailed a little more about what the trip would entail and how much work would be involved. The more I read, the more I became interested. Naturally, I signed up for an informational meeting regarding the trip.
Now, this was a big step. Not because I was deciding to take a trip to another continent (I hadn't made that decision yet). Instead, it was because I really didn't know anyone in my church, aside from the pastor. My church experience entailed showing up for service and leaving shortly after service. Nothing more or less. It isn't easy being the new guy in town, and for some reason or another I don't just jump into a strange situation as myself. I'm a very quiet person until I am comfortable around everyone. Then you can't shut me up. And I know you all can attest to this.
This meeting wasn't a large gathering either, so my apprehension continued to increase. But the more I sat there, the easier I felt being around everyone. I am fairly certain I was the youngest one there. I am typically used to being the youngest one around. Growing up, I was always the youngest. This has gradually changed, however, but not enough to where I am uncomfortably the youngest around. Not until now, that is.
The more I listened about the trip, the more I was able to learn about everyone else. Soon, I was hooked. I knew that I would enjoy this trip no matter who came along and I knew I had to figure out a way to get there. And it wasn't going to be easy. $2,500 was no small figure to raise, especially when you are a bum working on political campaigns.
But, we worked together as a group to get this done. Each meeting became small social gatherings where we supported the overall goal of sending everyone who wanted to go. After that first meeting, you couldn't tell who was going to Africa and who was just there to support those going. It is still amazing to think how much support this place has for its members. This support continued into the "Taste of Africa" fundraiser held, just a few weeks ago, when more money was raised than initially expected.
But that led to the Monday evening e-mail I received, telling me that our group of four, which started at five, had dwindled to two because of external circumstances. And then, of course, came the Tuesday phone call when I found out that I was the only person going to Liberia this time.
Now, the only apprehension I had in going alone was whether I still received the support of the church since I am a new member. That didn't last long, however, as that evening at a class I was enrolled in overwhelmingly supported my decision to go at it alone.
Being new can be an uncomfortable experience if you let it. But to have a small community openly welcome you despite knowing nothing about who you are is a truly grateful encounter. It helps me know that I am doing the right thing and can continue to expand who I am. Just as my August trip to Dallas showed me how great friends can be, Illinois has shown me how great strangers can be, too.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
My Story Continues
It's not like losing a race is the end of the world. But for me, when we lost that election, I honestly had no idea what I was going to do. I had guessed my job would be eliminated, since I was the last one on the campaign and the work needed would be out of my range. That night, however, no one cared about our political, or personal futures. We just cared about the alcohol in one of the hotel rooms (and the late-night trip to downtown Chicago).
We spent 32 days working hard to get one man elected to office. Thirty-two days of pancake breakfasts and district-wide press conferences. Thirty-two days of take-out meals and late night getting home. It was the hardest period of work many of us have ever encountered. And end the end, when the votes were counted and we had lost, I didn't feel like it was wasted.
Losing isn't great by any means, but the way we enjoyed the evening, and how the loss didn't affect our fun, showed me that the experience is well worth the outcome, even if it isn't in your favor. Someone has to lose the game and someone has to win. But everyone gets to experience the fight.
What shocked me, however, was the next week when the staff was downsized. I figured I was finished with the campaign. As most of you know now, that didn't turn out to be the case. I sat down to have my meeting with the campaign manager and a consultant telling them that I was ready to be let go. One of them looked at me and said, "well then this is going to be a bit of a surprise because we want you to stay on."
It was slow those first few months after the election. I spent more time trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life than I did living my life. But the first of two weddings I went to this year showed me that there needs to be a life if you want to plan for it.
I drove up to the Twin Cities for the first wedding, a fraternity brother's. It was a pleasant affair, nothing out of the ordinary. What made it interesting, however, was to see how the guys have (and haven't) changed. They were all settling in nicely into life. A few were married, a few more were having children (or already had kids). But they all found a place to live and stuck with it.
Driving back, I kind of reflected a bit on my own life and what I've done. While they were getting married, I was constantly moving. While they were settling into whatever life they had, I was changing jobs often.
It wasn't that I was unhappy with where my life led me. I wasn't, and still am not. Instead, I wanted more for my life. I wanted to experience things I had never experienced before, to make the changes I needed to make and to figure out what other changes I should make.
It was ironic, then, that one of the first things my dad said when I got back to Illinois was that the church was doing a mission trip to Liberia. I didn't want to branch out that far on the new experiences limb, so I passed it off as interesting news but not for me.
That night, however, I thought more about Liberia. I have always enjoyed travelling, even for work, and have never left the United States, save for a couple of trips to Mexican border towns. I read more about Liberia that night than ever (which isn't saying much), but I didn't decide to go just then.
The following Monday was when I made a big change for myself, the change I always thought about but never did. I went to a gym. It is uncomfortable going to a gym for the first time and asking to sign your wallet away. You always read about people signing up gym memberships and then never going back. I didn't want to, but I had to something about my health. It was going downhill (like it was ever uphill) and fast.
I guess age does that to people. And maybe age is a factor in everything I've done these past six months. Never did I think that I would be able to lose 50 pounds, like I have so far. Nor did I think I would receive a ticket confirmation to fly to Africa in just 47 days. But they have happened, and so much more. When looking back on their life, people realize how much they have changed. My 10-year high school reunion was in July (I didn't go), and when I think about who I was then versus who I am now, I am amazed at how different I am. I imagine everyone is different, we all change as we get older. It's how much and how we change that matters.
We spent 32 days working hard to get one man elected to office. Thirty-two days of pancake breakfasts and district-wide press conferences. Thirty-two days of take-out meals and late night getting home. It was the hardest period of work many of us have ever encountered. And end the end, when the votes were counted and we had lost, I didn't feel like it was wasted.
Losing isn't great by any means, but the way we enjoyed the evening, and how the loss didn't affect our fun, showed me that the experience is well worth the outcome, even if it isn't in your favor. Someone has to lose the game and someone has to win. But everyone gets to experience the fight.
What shocked me, however, was the next week when the staff was downsized. I figured I was finished with the campaign. As most of you know now, that didn't turn out to be the case. I sat down to have my meeting with the campaign manager and a consultant telling them that I was ready to be let go. One of them looked at me and said, "well then this is going to be a bit of a surprise because we want you to stay on."
It was slow those first few months after the election. I spent more time trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life than I did living my life. But the first of two weddings I went to this year showed me that there needs to be a life if you want to plan for it.
I drove up to the Twin Cities for the first wedding, a fraternity brother's. It was a pleasant affair, nothing out of the ordinary. What made it interesting, however, was to see how the guys have (and haven't) changed. They were all settling in nicely into life. A few were married, a few more were having children (or already had kids). But they all found a place to live and stuck with it.
Driving back, I kind of reflected a bit on my own life and what I've done. While they were getting married, I was constantly moving. While they were settling into whatever life they had, I was changing jobs often.
It wasn't that I was unhappy with where my life led me. I wasn't, and still am not. Instead, I wanted more for my life. I wanted to experience things I had never experienced before, to make the changes I needed to make and to figure out what other changes I should make.
It was ironic, then, that one of the first things my dad said when I got back to Illinois was that the church was doing a mission trip to Liberia. I didn't want to branch out that far on the new experiences limb, so I passed it off as interesting news but not for me.
That night, however, I thought more about Liberia. I have always enjoyed travelling, even for work, and have never left the United States, save for a couple of trips to Mexican border towns. I read more about Liberia that night than ever (which isn't saying much), but I didn't decide to go just then.
The following Monday was when I made a big change for myself, the change I always thought about but never did. I went to a gym. It is uncomfortable going to a gym for the first time and asking to sign your wallet away. You always read about people signing up gym memberships and then never going back. I didn't want to, but I had to something about my health. It was going downhill (like it was ever uphill) and fast.
I guess age does that to people. And maybe age is a factor in everything I've done these past six months. Never did I think that I would be able to lose 50 pounds, like I have so far. Nor did I think I would receive a ticket confirmation to fly to Africa in just 47 days. But they have happened, and so much more. When looking back on their life, people realize how much they have changed. My 10-year high school reunion was in July (I didn't go), and when I think about who I was then versus who I am now, I am amazed at how different I am. I imagine everyone is different, we all change as we get older. It's how much and how we change that matters.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Beginning
This is like some warped story that tells you the end before revealing the beginning. I guess a lot of people have been wondering how the thought transpired into a action. There is a lot to this story, some of it personal and I will keep to myself, but much of it occurred before I even heard about the opportunity. This may take some time, but I will do my best to keep you interested in the story and will avoid the boring details.
It would be easier if I heard about the opportunity one day but thought nothing of it. Then, while driving later that day, I heard Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying," only to switch the station because it was too coincidental. But the other station was playing Van Halen's "Right Now" and knew that it was too good to be coincidental. Then, later that evening, I was sitting at home and the Discovery Channel showed a special on the Civil War in Liberia and knew I had to go. Unfortunately, I have never been lucky to have signs fall on my lap like that. Instead it was a progression of thoughts and meditation before I came to the decision that I should take this chance. Okay, back to the story.
As many of you know, I moved to the Chicagoland Area in October 2007. I told work I was leaving to pursue a Master's Degree at Loyola or Northwestern. In reality, I left because something felt right about leaving DC. Not that I didn't like living in the Washington Metro Area. On the contrary, I enjoyed it quite a bit! It was a grand experience living in Virginia and experiencing the life of a government official (even if was as a contractor). The friends I made and the life I had was, for the most part, great. But when I went to Chicago in July that year, there was something that made me want to stay. Which I did when I stayed another week before begrudgingly driving back.
I know, what does any of this have to do with Africa and helping children? It makes sense, but sometimes you have to trudge through the nonsense. Think of it as the few minutes of a movie where you have no idea what's going on before things start making sense.
Fast forward to February and the campaign wins the primary. This wasn't one of those "oh how nice, you won, let's all hold hands now." Instead, this was a race that made Rocky seem like a pillow fight between girls at a slumber party. It was brutal.
There was no cool-down before the next fight, though. After running a tough race, we had to regroup and sprint towards another 35-day goal. The next morning (and that was really early for some of us who had stayed up pretty late celebrating the night before) saw all of us hitting the ground running.
It would be easier if I heard about the opportunity one day but thought nothing of it. Then, while driving later that day, I heard Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying," only to switch the station because it was too coincidental. But the other station was playing Van Halen's "Right Now" and knew that it was too good to be coincidental. Then, later that evening, I was sitting at home and the Discovery Channel showed a special on the Civil War in Liberia and knew I had to go. Unfortunately, I have never been lucky to have signs fall on my lap like that. Instead it was a progression of thoughts and meditation before I came to the decision that I should take this chance. Okay, back to the story.
As many of you know, I moved to the Chicagoland Area in October 2007. I told work I was leaving to pursue a Master's Degree at Loyola or Northwestern. In reality, I left because something felt right about leaving DC. Not that I didn't like living in the Washington Metro Area. On the contrary, I enjoyed it quite a bit! It was a grand experience living in Virginia and experiencing the life of a government official (even if was as a contractor). The friends I made and the life I had was, for the most part, great. But when I went to Chicago in July that year, there was something that made me want to stay. Which I did when I stayed another week before begrudgingly driving back.
By the time I arrived back in Virginia, I had pretty much made my mind that I needed to get out of Washington soon. When an opportunity presented itself, I took it. That opportunity led me to quit my job out of the blue, pack my bags (and boxes, and bed - no I didn't pack my bed, I just threw it away) and head back to the Midwest. It was a thrill, thinking that I was going back to my birth state - yes, I was born in Illinois, not Oklahoma - and start this great life that would be wild beyond my imagination.
Two months later and still no job, that grand dream was fading away fast. I didn't have many opportunities landing at my doorstep. Turns out, they want you to have an accounting or finance degree to be a business analyst in Chicago. You only needed a college degree in DC, which has fostered my fear of how our federal government operates.
I had been asked a few times by family to talk to this guy running for Congress in the Tri-Cities area, but had brushed off the idea. I had been in politics before and was done. After Thanksgiving and turning another year older, I realized that I needed to do something. At least until I could find a more permanent job. So I met with this guy. I will admit, he had the charisma and the look for Congress, but I could tell there was something missing. I took the position and started helping out.
Of course, this didn't last long, as he lost a key endorsement and then decided to suspend the race. This led, however, to another job opportunity with the campaign that picked up the endorsement. I took the job, this time a paying one (since the campaign was actually raising funds).
I know, what does any of this have to do with Africa and helping children? It makes sense, but sometimes you have to trudge through the nonsense. Think of it as the few minutes of a movie where you have no idea what's going on before things start making sense.
Fast forward to February and the campaign wins the primary. This wasn't one of those "oh how nice, you won, let's all hold hands now." Instead, this was a race that made Rocky seem like a pillow fight between girls at a slumber party. It was brutal.
There was no cool-down before the next fight, though. After running a tough race, we had to regroup and sprint towards another 35-day goal. The next morning (and that was really early for some of us who had stayed up pretty late celebrating the night before) saw all of us hitting the ground running.
Thirty-five days of campaigning. Thirty-five days of non-stop work, from surveys to phone calls, press releases to door knocking (and the occasional big-name politician). Most of us thought we had the election by March 8, but most of us were wrong. It was such a deflating loss. The national media hailed it as the monumental upset, pundits blamed the campaign and the candidate, party officials grumbled their disdain. It was an even that makes everyone just want to crawl into a cave for a few weeks. Or months.
But that day changed everything. I didn't know it then, but it lead me to redefine who I want to be and it led me towards where I am today, just 46 days away from taking a trip that will change my life forever. I think this is enough for today. We have plenty of time for me to finish this story another day.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
It's Set!
This is probably the most exciting week I've had for my upcoming trip. As always, chronological order is best.
Hold please... Note to self, never write anything when the Cubs are clinching the Division. It doesn't bode well for keeping your mind in check.
Anyway, Sunday's fundraiser was a great success. Not only did we raise awareness of the work we want to accomplish while we are in Liberia, but we were able to raise quite a bit towards our trip costs. The money was a great dent for the four people planning to travel to Africa starting Nov. 4th, but became an even higher dent the next night.
As I just mentioned, there were four people planning on taking this trip, two women and two men. Then, on Monday night, I received an e-mail from the coordinator from our church to tell me that I need to send some information to the mission director and that the two women had to back out for personal reasons.
I go about my day on Tuesday when I received an e-mail saying I need to call the church as soon as possible. Calling in, I find out that the other person also had to back out. The coordinator wanted to know if I was still willing to go alone. I did take a thought to see if I should still go, but the more I thought about it, the more I excited I got out of this prospect.
So, I just said "I think there is still a benefit for me going." I truly believe there is a benefit, as I can still gain a lot of experience from working on this trip and I can contribute to the lives of these children, who don't live the lives we do, who don't plan because there is little reason to, but, more importantly, who have renewed hope in the world. I get to represent my church as we work to provide an education and a future to the many children who attend these schools.
There was a building excitement as I knew the check had been written, the funds for the trip there and back have been raised and it was only a matter of time until things were finalized. And then last night it happened.
I get home after a trying evening (well, a trying hour but the rest of the evening was enjoyable) to find an e-mail from the mission director with the confirmation information for my trip.
Now it's official. I'm leaving on Nov. 4 to Monrovia and the start of a whole new adventure, one that I didn't even think about six months ago and now about to actually undertake. I'm excited and I hope you all will get to read more about my excitement as time draws near. Right now, I need to go celebrate a Cubs victory, but I will lay out more details about the trip in the coming week and more information about my thoughts and emotions as we draw closer to my new adventure.
Hold please... Note to self, never write anything when the Cubs are clinching the Division. It doesn't bode well for keeping your mind in check.
Anyway, Sunday's fundraiser was a great success. Not only did we raise awareness of the work we want to accomplish while we are in Liberia, but we were able to raise quite a bit towards our trip costs. The money was a great dent for the four people planning to travel to Africa starting Nov. 4th, but became an even higher dent the next night.
As I just mentioned, there were four people planning on taking this trip, two women and two men. Then, on Monday night, I received an e-mail from the coordinator from our church to tell me that I need to send some information to the mission director and that the two women had to back out for personal reasons.
I go about my day on Tuesday when I received an e-mail saying I need to call the church as soon as possible. Calling in, I find out that the other person also had to back out. The coordinator wanted to know if I was still willing to go alone. I did take a thought to see if I should still go, but the more I thought about it, the more I excited I got out of this prospect.
So, I just said "I think there is still a benefit for me going." I truly believe there is a benefit, as I can still gain a lot of experience from working on this trip and I can contribute to the lives of these children, who don't live the lives we do, who don't plan because there is little reason to, but, more importantly, who have renewed hope in the world. I get to represent my church as we work to provide an education and a future to the many children who attend these schools.There was a building excitement as I knew the check had been written, the funds for the trip there and back have been raised and it was only a matter of time until things were finalized. And then last night it happened.
I get home after a trying evening (well, a trying hour but the rest of the evening was enjoyable) to find an e-mail from the mission director with the confirmation information for my trip.
Now it's official. I'm leaving on Nov. 4 to Monrovia and the start of a whole new adventure, one that I didn't even think about six months ago and now about to actually undertake. I'm excited and I hope you all will get to read more about my excitement as time draws near. Right now, I need to go celebrate a Cubs victory, but I will lay out more details about the trip in the coming week and more information about my thoughts and emotions as we draw closer to my new adventure.
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