It's Possible

I've realized that the US is progressive simply because people say "It's possible." We're always thinking of progression, of development, of opportunities to make our lives easier, more efficient, longer, and supposedly happier. People know that if they work hard, they have the opportunity to do anything they want. We constantly think of the future- our goals, our plans, progression. But do we lose sight of the present in our attempts to make life better later?

Here, it’s the opposite. People live entirely in the here and now - What do I want or need now? What am I doing right now? – so much so that I think it’s hard for them to look into the future and plan. Saving money, valuing education and the opportunity it might bring, inventing ways to make life easier, and planning the development of the country to improve its infrastructure and, again, make life easier are just not prevalent attitudes here. I’m not sure if people just don’t know about these things, if they don’t think it’s possible, or if they just don’t care. Or maybe some combination thereof, depending on who I ask.

One of my goals here is to change these attitudes. I want to tell people there are easier ways; there are things that will help improve life. I want to tell them that these things are possible, that change is possible, and that everyone can make a difference, however small, in producing such change. I want to inspire my students and others I meet to think outside the box and believe it’s possible for each one of them to make the change they see is needed. I want to help people improve their own lives.

Can you tell I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer?