 |
| I got to enjoy this incredible view on my run yesterday |
Earlier today, I expressed some frustration towards a situation at school where I had felt a staff member was ill mannered towards me. Another American student teacher responded with something along the lines of, "It's interesting how the need for acknowledgement is so deeply rooted in us from our American upbringing."
Maybe it was the day I had, or the way I have felt lately, but something about that statement did not sit well with me. When did saying thank you become a cry for attention, or should I say acknowledgement? Last time I checked, it was simply common courtesy.
Here's the thing-my blog tells a piece of my South African story, but because it is public, I have to use appropriate discretion when writing. When I create a post, I tend to consider my audience almost to a fault. The last thing I want to do is offend someone or come off as insensitive or ungrateful for the experience.
So here is where I am going with this:
The other night I was reading a blog post from Converge Magazine. The author of the post also writes a blog with his wife about their time in Uganda. I began to read their blog and was amazed at the couple's honesty about their experience. They are both Canadian and some of their pieces emphasize the barriers between the Western and African cultures. I found myself shouting "amen" after many of the posts. They also remind their friends and family that even though they moved across the world for an incredible cause, they still get homesick. I remember thinking that if I ever mentioned missing home to someone that I would seem weak, as if I couldn't handle the opportunity I had been blessed with. That is not the case, and it was nice to read such openness.
One post in particular stuck out to me. I would encourage you to read it so you can get an idea of some the barriers I was referring to earlier. It is titled, "This is Africa." We have actually heard this phrase used quite a bit here, even being in an a more developed area of the continent.
The article is both refreshing and paints a genuine picture of some cultural aspects I have found most challenging.
I am all for a little "African Time" every once in a while. I have always found myself fashionably late to events, so people would probably assume I fit right in with this cultural element! But there is a difference between 15 minutes and 2 hours or in the case for this couple, an extra 12 hours.
With all this being said... here is a little honesty of my own:
I miss southern hospitality. I miss accountability. I miss please and thank you.
I miss the honoring of my time and talents.
This experience has been incredible. There is no doubt about it, but sometimes, especially at the school, I wish the same respect for culture that we work so diligently to show, would be returned to us.
We all have good and bad days. On some of the more upsetting days, I find the best solution is to cling to my faith. When every situation seems out of my control, and I have nothing else to offer, I rely on grace to cover and sustain me.
I want to close this post with a quote-
"Going on an adventure does not necessarily mean that you have to be the hero of an epic story or learn how to tame a lion with your bare hands (although this is on my to-do list), I think it just means sacrificing what is known in order to embrace what is unknown."
- Going on an Adventure (another post by the couple in Uganda)
I hope everyone is getting through those Monday blues!
Love,
Casey :)
No comments:
Post a Comment