Peace And Smiles
My adventures as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand:The Land of Smiles
10/8/2018 2 Comments Have I Made a Difference?Have I made a difference?
This question has recently become a cloud over my daily life. As I end the third of my four school terms, as the number of months I have left here slowly decreases, as my post service plans are starting to become more concrete, I look around and ask myself: Have I made a difference? If I rephrase this question it is not hard to answer: Is my community different from when I first arrived? Yes, of course my community is different. There is a new 7-11, a coffee shop recently opened, and the roads are in the process of being repaved. Physically, my community has changed, is always changing, but I cannot kid myself and pretend like I had anything to do with it. Have I made a difference in myself? Yes, of course I'm different. I know a new language. I can bake bread. I like spicy food. Plans changing on a moment’s notice no longer stresses me out. I no longer have a need to make every trip perfect. I have become comfortable with always being challenged and never completely knowing what is happening. Living alone, living in a foreign country, starting a new job, all of these things will change you; doing them all at once only multiplies that change. But that is not why I came to Thailand. And the question I should ask is Have I made a difference in my community? I look at my “Tiny Neighbor Squad”: Junia and Noon want to grow their hair long like mine. When a store owner called Bpom fat she replied “no, I exercise, I’m strong”. Pii loves to learn English phrases and works them into every conversation. I look at my students: my fourth graders told me our bike rides are more fun than their phones. At lunch last week, a co-worker told me her daughter, Ked, wasn’t bored in school when I was there, because I teach with activities and make learning fun for her. I look at my co workers: everyone loves pumpkin bread. My co teacher is no longer scared to use her English. My counterpart has applied for another volunteer, because now he understands what life skills are. Maybe it’s nothing huge, maybe these seeds will grow and maybe they won’t, maybe there’s more I haven’t realized and maybe there’s not. And so, I ask Have I made a difference? Yes, of course I have.
2 Comments
Aunt loyola
10/9/2018 04:22:11 am
Thumbs UP always!,,,,,
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Keely
10/9/2018 12:57:39 pm
You are AMAZING, Kayla! I cannot believe you have been in Thailand for over a year now. Your blog posts inspired me to do more everytime I read them. Keep it up, you ARE making a difference.
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