Monday, January 28, 2008
dreams. almost, but not yet, debased.
throughout college and for awhile after, i had peace corps applications at my fingertips. i filled them out, multiple times. then, they would sit, get stained, lost, wrinkled. i would then request another application. apply, rinse, repeat. i had visions of going to scary-cool places and truly helping people. i still entertain these notions, even though i now have a clearer understanding that a government sponsored program, has 'our' government at the forefront of interest. Nonetheless, i still long for the ideal. gihyb and i started some preliminary talk tonight of just subletting our place and heading to some place, some where, some day, soon, or maybe soonish.
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Last week, I watched a documentary "American Idealist - Sargent Shriver"
on PBS...
Anyway, Shriver was the first leader of the Peace Corps for President Kennedy, and ran the "War on Poverty" during Lyndon Johnson’s Administration.
He inspired, directed, or founded numerous social programs and organizations, including Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound, Foster Grandparents, Special Olympics, the National Center on Poverty Law, Legal Services.
Why am I telling you this? Shriver baled out when Lyndon Johnson thought funding the Vietnam War would be a better idea than funding the War on Poverty. Things just ain't been the same since.
I'm not sure how the Peace Corps is viewed these days by the rest of the world, but Sarge Shriver kicked Kennedy's ass to get it going and that brand of commitment to serve without 'pay' to an ideal is long gone from many a heart.
Go for it! Before you're too old, too encumbered and too cynical to think any Organization can do any good anywhere.
"1 am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something."
-Edward Everitt Hale.
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