Reasons I’m Joining the Peace Corps
“Why would you want to do that?”
Everything we choose to do in life has to be justified, not only to ourselves, but to those around us. To that end, I’ve been forced to answer this question over and over; sometimes in a few sentences and sometimes over hour long conversations.
I suppose it’s really hard to say why I wanted to join the Peace Corps. I can list all the idealistic stuff about helping and saving the world, but I would be lying, because that’s not exactly true. In my aspiration statement, I wrote that I wanted to give back, see the world, and become fluent in another language. Those are good reasons, and while they are true, they’re not THE reason I’m joining the Peace Corps.
In all actuality, I asked myself why I wouldn’t want to join the Peace Corps. And I couldn’t come up with a good answer to that question. Granted, the Peace Corps isn’t for everyone, but for me, it fits.
If fact, here are several reasons I’ve been given in favor of not joining, and my rebuttals to them:
It’s 2 years: Two years is nothing. Heck, I’ve already lived 23. That’s only 2/23 of all the years I’ve lived. Not very much. And as I age, that fraction will get smaller and smaller. I’m not in a hurry to start my career – I’ll be working the rest of my life and, while I can’t say for certain, I’m pretty sure I won’t look back and wish I only would have worked 2 more years. It may seem like a long time, but overall, it’s a drop in the bucket.
There are plenty of people here in America that need help: Yes, that is true. There is a lot of work to be done here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. And I can do that when I get back. But right now, I have an opportunity to see the world, live and breath another culture, and become fluent in another language while also positively affecting someone else’s life.
How will you live without _____? (electricity, internet, a shower, TV . . . you fill in the blank): The idea of living in a hut, while laughable to many, is one that excites me. Maybe because I’ve only had a few small apartments, so thinking about having my very own hut gives me butterflies. I’m not afraid of bugs and I don’t mind dirt. (Besides, I never really liked to shower more than once a week anyway.) I don’t need TV. In fact, I don’t need a lot of things. I can get by. I can make do. And I can be happy with what I have.
So, why did I want to join the Peace Corps? Well, why did you decide to do what you’re doing with your life? Because it fits where you’re at in life? Because it’s a job? Because it’s what you’re passionate about? There. You have your answer. Joining the Peace Corps is something I feel in my heart I must do, and I don’t want to look back in 30 years and say, “I wish I had done that.”
I remember ’stepping off’ day in Nepal in Aug. 1969! I can see why it would scare many /most people now, but back then, I was pumped and ready to head out to my village even though it meant a 90 mile walk!