Wednesday, July 8, 2009

A Conclusive Note

Hey World,

Again I apologize for the lack of consistent posts. In spite of the digitalized world we live in, I do not enjoy staring at screens all day.

1. Bullet-Point Recap of the Most Amazing Four Weeks EVER

2. A Lengthy and Conclusive Reflection

Recap:

- Wrote a lot for my internship (articles for publication, edits to website, research, etc.)
- Worked some more on Fair Trade the White House
- Officially elected as Southeast Regional Coordinator for the United Students for Fair Trade (www.usft.org)
- Met some incredible students at the CAP Campus Progress Conference
- Heard speakers Bill Clinton, Van Jones, Kathleen Sibelius, Nancy Pelosi, and some awesome spoken word artist (her poem is at the end of this post)
- Met some inspiring organizers, journalists, and young people
- Networked with some incredibly talented and passionate students (Daniel Marbury at U of Alabama...great guy.)
- Plan to host Alabama Powershift 2009 -- hosted by newly-formed/thought of C.A.S.E. (Coalition of Alabama Students for a Sustainable Environment)
- Almost done applying for Campus Progress Grant, to fund enAct's 2009 activities
- Networked with some Energy Action Coalition leaders, will meet them in office next week
- Bought ticket to Nicaragua! Now leaving DC on July 28th... :(
- Preparing for a special visitor :)
- Cooked A LOT (too many recipes to list, but a highlight was a blueberry-rhubarb cobbler)
- Did jumping-jacks in Senate Offices (protesting with www.avaaz.org -- a part of PowerShift)
- Baby-Sat a few times
- Saw a great movie (Vicky Christina Barcelona... very good)
- Museum -- Corcoran, the last weekend for the Mya-Lin exhibit, absolutely phenomenal
- Created a twitter (bendtracy)

- Housesat in Cheverly -- lots of fun playing with Ruby the beagle!
- Met some very important DC alumni
- Became committed to a very important person
- Had a wonderful weekend with said person, seeing FRESH the movie and enjoying perfect DC summe weather

I have to jump in on a conference call with fellow USFTers who I will be going to Nicaragua with, BUT:

I feel like it is vital to extract as much out of this experience as possible. It is not necessary to conclude with a final precipice of personal growth, that nothing further could possibly result from these summer connections; however, I certainly feel moved by the events in the past 2 months.

I believe now, more than ever, that I must be connected on a deeply personal, cultural, economic, environmental, and physical level to my work. For this reason (and amidst some personally trying economic times) I will not continue my two work studies at BSC. Waiting tables, working for non-profits (perhaps government) will take up my weeknights and normal "work-study hours".

DC has given me both breadth and depth in some of the most influential working fields of our time. Now, more than ever, these careers (lobbyists, journalists, politicians, campaign advisers, think tanks) serve such an important place in our world--creating a central hub of attention and impact, and will continue to do so for at least another three years (especially when the Dems lose an expected 30 House seats in 2010...). I respect their work immensely and I am forever grateful for personally meeting them, hearing their anecdotal reflections, and their hopes for the future.

I may not return to this city. Perhaps it is another self-created, angsty, self-fulfilling psychosomatic prophecy that is such an insufferable product of our generation, but I have an underlying feeling of being ideologically isolated, and perhaps distant. Not in terms of beliefs, character, of patriotic duty, but rather the action that should result from these beliefs. I question its impact, I question its connection with the real world and not another glowing rectangle from which one may extract a "career" of sorts. I question it all.

The seduction of this city is overwhelming. Its activity is beautiful, its people are knowledgeable, diverse, and hard-working. Its impact and importance unquestionably unmatched.

Its work may not be for me. Just yet at least.

(I apologize for my generalized brevity, but this blog is really for myself...sorry)

Plan for the week is:
-- Meeting Tues. night with political events NY Times reporter Adam Nagourney
-- Dinner with Jeremy Bird, Director of the DNC and played a critical role in Organizing for America (essentially Obama's campaign). Hope for some wise words from him.

Will return to Atlanta (safely) on Tuesday afternoon and leave for Nicaragua on Wednesday.

Best wishes to all - Bon soir, Hasta Luego, Ciao

-- "On ne voit qu'avec le coeur. L'essential est invisible pour les yeux". - Victor Hugo

No comments:

Post a Comment