One of my new favorite groups is Lady Antebellum, they’re a little new school for country, but have good instrumentation and the lead singer has a great voice—plus they write their own stuff, so that’s awesome. Well they have a new song called “I Was Here” and it basically embodies all the reasons I wanted to come to the Peace Corps. I wasn’t naive enough to think that I was coming to change the world, after all one person cannot change the world (no matter how highly some of ya’ll think of Obama—even he can’t do it, accept it). I didn’t come here thinking that I was going to drastically change everything for the better in my new community and everyone was going to love me and the Peace Corps. I’m a glass half empty kinda person on most days. I prefer to think of it not as seeing the world negatively, rather I’m a realist. I know my limitations and the limitations of man as a race. But with this song I get a glimpse of my glass half full side.
While I’m a realist, I have idealistic tendencies every now and again. I want to see change in the world, I want to help my community, I want them to like me and work with me to make our community better. And I think that this song just embodies how that change will be done.
You will notice me,
I’ll be leaving my mark like initials carved in an old oak tree
You wait and see
Maybe I’ll write like Twain wrote, Maybe I’ll paint like Van Gogh
Cure the common cold, I don’t know
But I’m ready to start because I know in my heart
I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better with the time that I’ve been given
And I want to try to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothing less than something that says
I was here
I will prove you wrong if you think I’m all talk
You’re in for a shock because this dreams too strong
And before too long
Maybe I’ll compose symphonies; Maybe I’ll fight for world peace
Cause I know it,s my destiny to leave more than a trace of myself in this place
I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better with the time that I’ve been given
And I want to try to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothing less than something that says
I was here
And I know that I will do more than just pass through this life
I’ll leave nothing less than something that says:
I Was Here
After all we were told a story of a Peace Corps Volunteer in India. After the end of his service when asked if he felt that he was productive he replied that he didn’t accomplish anything, he failed as a volunteer. Many years later, the Indian government was doing a dental health survey, and found one small pocket of their population that had wonderful dental health. When they asked the local population why they had such good teeth an old man replied:
“There was this American who lived here years ago that would brush his teeth in the public water well every day, he told us it was a good idea.”
He made a difference, he was there. Guess I’m seeing things a lil more Half Full now a days.
a few photos that are un related just to jazz this thing up
Me and Erica decided to make salsa on the floor of our hotel room
Erica digging into the salsa and chips a la super market
