A Different World

Written 12/6

I began my overseas experiences knowing that there would be challenges but I must admit I was really ignorant to the what those challenges would be. I knew the food and culture would be different but other things I didnt expect. In fact, of all the challenges I anticipated, none of those are an issue.

In the United States, we learn very early about race. As children, even today, we grow up knowing there is a difference among races. We are taught and learn different things (good and bad) about black, white, hispanic, asian etc. Even if we haven't interacted with members of other races, we are very aware of them. So, when I came overseas I did not suspect that race would be an issue.

Yes, there are people of different ethnicities and backgrounds everywhere. However, I honestly thought a history of distinction between races and cultures was something that was only prevalent in the US. When I was in the Middle East, I was told stories about about immigration practices and there being this "unspoken" difference in how westerners and non-westerners were treated. I was ignorant to the fact that we just live in a racial world.

Even in my current location, we get constant stares and people marveled by the foreigners. My hair is often an intriguing topic of discussion. In fact, one weekend I was sitting in the mall having lunch and a little girl walked by and started touching my hair. I often get questioned about where Im from. My skin immediately makes me stand out and my accent isn't far behind.

It wasn't until my experience here that I realized that I grew up with a lot more exposure and experience that I thought. I have pretty much seen and interacted with an individual from every major culture. There isn't a person that would walk down my street that I would just stare at because I was so intrigued with their appearance. The world is racial. People naturally make assumptions, form ideas or are intrigued by how different someone looks, speaks or acts. The interesting thing is that color sometimes makes those distinctions so noticeable.

While uncomfortable at times, I take away from this a new sense of awareness and respect for people who are different, whether it's religiously, socially, racially etc. I have learned to ask more questions and make less judgements. One think I have really noticed is that every culture is vastly different. What one person views as normal or rude is completely different than the next. I must admit those are the easiest things to get frustrated with. We have different understandings of respect and courteousness. I realize it takes an extremely flexible and patient person to live in such a racial world and I think that a lot of friction occurs because we aren't flexible. A lot of times people equate different with bad. It can be really hard to wrap your mind around it all. I must admit Im not even there yet.  

Living an Illiterate Life

As we all know, there is a growing population of struggling readers in America. As an elementary teacher in the south, I often had students that struggled with reading and comprehending the English language (Of course, that was unacceptable in my classroom ;-) ). Anyhow, I always wondered how it was possible to live life without knowing how to read. How do you order food at a restaurant? How do you read street signs and directions? How do you sign things that you can't read? How do you send a text, read an email, pass notes?

Well, for the last 3 months, I have been living an illiterate life and it has really helped me put literacy in perspective. I have been living in Gaziantep, Turkey, a place where there is a great desire to learn English but  it is rarely used. Consequently, I am a Turkish illiterate. I cannot read the language nor can I speak it very well.

While the thought and realization of being illiterate was surprising to me, what surprised me more is the ability of the brain. The brain automatically copes and adapts. Without knowing how to speak or read much Turkish, I can get a taxi, order from a menu and get my point across. We really are survivors. We learn to be resourceful. So, my next thought was, the reason I made learning Turkish less of a pressing priority is because I felt like I could get by without it. (I am learning Turkish but not at the speed I could be learning it).

And....here's the light bulb. My students weren't invested in reading because they felt like they could live a perfectly "normal" life without it. I am. We need to shift the focus off telling our children they need to read or trying to make them like it. We need to spend a lot of time investing them in the reasons why they need it. If I knew I couldn't get by I would be tackling learning Turkish from all angles. We need to convince them its something that they can't live without. If they think they are just fine without it they won't have a real eagerness or interest in learning it and technology makes this challenge even harder.

So, now I realize how relatively simple it is to get into the rhythm of living a illiterate life. The next step is to figure how to break this mind set that living in a modern age has given us.

25-Eve

Tomorrow, I will be 25. A quarter century. To some it may mean nothing at all but to me it means everything. I remember being a teenager and wanting to conquer the world. Im thankful to god I never lost that passion. I was terrified of turning 25 because even super-over achiever me felt like I have not done enough to commemorate this milestone. I felt like I had not grown enough, I have not fixed enough, I haven't learned enough...that things weren't quite perfect.

Then during the end of my work day my boss hands me a card that came in the mail from my Aunt. The card said "As busy as you are, there's no doubt that your life is spirit filled because the only way you could possibly get everything done is with God lifting you each step of the way!". I bet when she picked out the card she didn't realize that card would inspire me so much. I read it again and again and I stopped to think that before 25 I have been busy. From undergrad, to grad school, to moving around the world and touching the lives of many children like myself along the way. I have done more than I give myself credit for. I truly haven't stopped to appreciate all that I have accomplished so far. It's funny how people can be more proud of you than you are of yourself.

Despite the many many curveballs that 24 has thrown me, god has continued to bless me. He has pushed me forward in even the darkest storms. I am so proud of the person Ive become, the challenges I've overcome and the mountains I have yet to climb. I am thankful to realize that on 25-eve. Perfect Timing!! I have an amazing tight knit group of family and friends that I wouldn't trade the world for. I love you guys!!


 I'll toast to that!