Stop and Smell the Roses

While waiting for the final call from Washington D.C., I picked up volunteering at Chicago Cultural Alliance. Not very different than my volunteer work at the Indo American Heritage Museum (IAHM) -which was working through the kinks of a start-up non-profit, such as brainstorming next steps in programs, preparation of material and workshops, connecting people to one another and in general creating awareness in the community of who we are and what we do.

Yesterday was different. I signed up for a workshop developed by the Field Museum for teachers - for their Cultural Connections programs partnering with about 30 ethnic museums/cultural centers in Chicago and the Chicago Cultural Alliance.

Chicago is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world and over the last 6 years I have been a presenter or resource person for the IAHM. Now I was on the other side and what an eye-opener learning about cultural anthropology!  As a business nuts and bolts business major person, this workshop was absolutely fascinating as I, together with a group of teachers learned to deconstruct the cultural lens with which we view 'others'. Others being loosely defined as people who are not part of your normal landscape or daily life.

The goal of this workshop is to be aware of cultural relativism in our relationship with others. It is to teach us as teachers to interact with our students in ways to allow learning to take place by first understanding that if their cultural/ethnic background is different from ours, we are not interpreting the subject from the same page as them. This is very true for the teachers who are faced with a diverse classroom of students.

For me making plans to live among 'others' as a peace corps volunteer, I am getting early heads on training and in small doses that I can practise these new skills right here in Chicago, while waiting for medical clearance!

On reflection, this 'detour' or 'stop' on that mythical curvaceous mountain road to become a Peace Corps volunteer is somehow all part of the preparation. An invisible hand is guiding my way down this path.  I am no longer stressed or anxious about which country or my assignment or whether I will make a difference or not.  I just know when the time comes it will be just where I am needed and I will be more prepared for that sojourn.

I don't even know who is reading my blogs at this time, or who will ever read my musings, but just to document the feelings, aspirations, disappointments and unforeseen opportunities during this stage is helping me remember the details which may be forgotten as newe experiences pile up on on top of the other down the road.

Roller Coaster

Here I was, bursting with delight when the staging material arrived. The hours spent pouring over the documents to make sure that after one and one-half years of waiting for this day, it was finally around the corner.  Wait, there a little more to this story.

Macedonia has a mountainous terrain and just when I thought I rounded the last bend to my destination, I was had to endure another.  It was my good fortune (in hindsight, of course) that I tore my left knee meniscus (during strength training????)  a couple weeks before leaving for staging.  If it had happened a few weeks/months into my assignment, I would have been medevaced(?) and never come back glowing with accomplishment.

My doctor recommended arthroscopic surgery immediately before I left on assignment. In his experience due to my physically fit condition I would heal rapidly without needing a crutch and be ready to board a plane in 3 days.  The whole office shifted in high gear on Tuesday to run me through pre-op tests, labs, etc and got me ready for surgery on Wednesday, Sept 24, 2008.  I was given a whole lot of exercises to perform and the doctor gave me the go ahead to leave on Friday, Sept 26 for Philadelphia, my staging city.

Imagine my disappointment that I was immediately put on medical hold by the Peace Corps Medical Office. They were to make their decision long distance and needed time to review my surgery related medical files.  I bid a tearful farewell to my new friends (hope to see you all in a few years) the first evening of my first day of staging event and returned home to wait this out.  

I am writing today because all medical documents are now in Washington, after my last follow-up visit Jan 20, 2009.  Everything works in slow gear when you are in a hurry.   There's something magical about this date in our history and I have high hopes that in a small way this will allow me to make history in my personal life. I am afterall leaving behind my husband and four children (one a freshman in college and the other three just a couple years past their undergraduate studies - the age of most of my new PC colleagues).