Advent - The start of a new year...

Hello My Blog-Reading Family,

I hope this finds you well and that you spent your Thanksgiving surrounded by Love. I have had a number of visitors since my last post and have also traveled to Philly (for work) and NC to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my sister. All were great additions to life. The big change in my life since I last wrote is that I de-moted myself. Many of you will no doubt say, "WHAT?!?! I thought you loved your job!?" So here is the story... (My apologies this is a long blog)

I am really interested in Development/Fundraising/Marketing and was/am excited about all the potential there. But, when I kept thinking about the job (as I slowly became more and more overwhelmed), I kept thinking, as my organization is growing VERY fast, we need someone who knows what he/she is doing in that position. After de-moting myself, I also did realize it was not just the right decision for the organization but also for me. I was constantly stressed, there was more to do than was humanly possible, and I was not happy with the quality of work I was turning out. I could not direct, learn, and do all at the same time. Plus, I realized I was in the job because either other people told me it was what I wanted to do with my life and that it would get me where I wanted to be or because other people seemed to think I would fail and I didn't want to give them that satisfaction. I realized I don't know what I want to do with my life, so why do something that was causing so much anxiety and that I am the only one who can judge what my personal "failure" is. Plus, since when do I give a you-know-what about what other people think? :-P Oh, how great self-reflection is... So where does that leave me? I am a Development Associate. My replacement as Director starts on Wed and so hopefully that will allow me to actually feel successful at my job. So that is my work-life. With this job shift, I will again have a complete life to share with you not just a work-life. :)

I have been thinking a lot about Advent lately and thought I would share my musings/plans with you all. I know growing up, advent was always the time to give something up. As a child/teen I never really understood this. I was told it makes you a better person (Karen without Chocolate doesn't make a better anything). As I have gotten older, and especially through recent readings of various religions, schools of thought, etc. I have in someways changed my opinion (though giving up chocolate still seems pointless to me :-P but if it makes you a better person more power to you and more chocolate for me). I have realized, especially in this season, how frustrated I get with the materialism in our society. How frustrated I get with the fact that people think more stuff will make them happy when in my opinion it often just drives us apart from real, true, meaningful human connection which is what ultimately satisfies us. Our computers, clothes, TVs, etc will never give us the love and support that truly makes us content human beings, yet all of the external inputs tell us that is what makes a good life. As Christmas approaches, things get stressful, and everyone is more worried than ever about money and keeping up with the joneses I have decided to try to better appreciate things I take for granted. I also want to invest in bringing these same 'granted's to others who don't share my reality. After taking a walk in another man's shoes I think it will make me understand that reality a little better. Also in thinking of end of year giving, which is a huge push right now at any non-profit, I figure I should put my money where my mouth is and really make my donations meaningful. So this advent, I want to focus on six things I take for granted: (1) The people in my life; (2) My computer/Email; (3) Food; (4) My bed (5) Clean Water; (6) A stable environment to live.

Now you will say, that is nice you crazy lady how do you plan to appreciate those more. I am going to try to put the phrase you don't know what you've got until it's gone into action. For each week of advent I am going to "Give-up" something different, spend time reflecting on it, share my reflections, and contribute to improving the 'reality' in which others live. I share these thoughts with you both so I am held accountable and because if any of you would like to join this advent adventure in any capacity, I would love to have a community with which to experience and reflect.

So this first week, I am going to give up my personal email/facebook/internet surfing. I have thought, read, and talked with people about how technology at times can detract from personal relationships not help with them. We have less human connection because many of us will now email, text, or 'write on the wall' of a friend instead of picking up the phone and calling. I also find I spend hours of wasted time surfing the internet to try to fill lonliness or boredom instead of dedicating that time to actually interactions or productivity. This will mean that I will have to plan my week in advance (ie no spending hours googling recipes, etc) and that I will have to find meaningful ways to fill my spare time. This also means that if I want to communicate with people I will have to call them (WHAT?!?!? Unheard of), you will also have to call me if you want to tell me something. I also am going to make a donation to First Time Computers, an organization that helps to give more people in the DC area access to the benefits of computers, which in many ways have become essential to 'success' in the world today.

The second week, I am going to give up the food diversity I currently enjoy. I spent lots of time thinking on this one because sacrificing my health will not do anyone any good. I remember in all my Mexico/South America classes we learned how native people would live on beans, rice, squash, and corn because that combination has all the amino acids you need to survive (medical folks you can correct me if I am wrong). I am going to add apples and milk to that mix but live on just those six things for a week. Especially after my trip to Nicaragua after graduation, I have come to realize the amount of options we have in our society when it comes to food is insane. Just think about the cereal aisle in your grocery store. In my opinion, so many options only bring more stress (especially if you have multiple children to shop for - my favorite scene to watch unfold in the store). For that week, I am going to support the Oregon Food Bank. They do such great work in what will always be my home area and I volunteered there with my Papi a few summers ago so it seems like a good fit.

The third week, I am going to give up my bed and sleep on the floor. First, because this is something I really truly take for granted yet I speak daily to many, many people who sleep on the floor nightly or on a rug or a blanket. It is also my job to help explain this reality to donors and I feel like until I have been through it, my explanation of another's experience only goes so far. In thinking about it, not only do many in our country sleep each night without a bed but through out the world mattresses and beds are a real luxury, yet most of us would never even think of going to sleep each night anywhere else. For that week, I am planning to support A Wider Circle. It is this great non-profit organization that for a $33 donation can provide one person with home essentials, including a bed ;)

The forth week, I am going to give up my lengthy 7 minute showers for military showers and increase my appreciation of water (again giving up drinking clean water for the week didn't seem to make sense :p). In most of my study abroad experiences, even living with upper-middle class families in the cultures I was in, daily long showers were considered wasteful and were unheard of because water is so scarce. Many hundreds of thousands of people wouldn't even dream of an unlimited supply of water rushing over their heads because they must spend their whole day just carrying enough contaminated water to have something to eat and drink. Again, something many of us would never even imagine. In some countries, children do not get to go to school because they must spend their days traveling to and from the closest water source. For this week I am going to support charity: water. They build wells to bring safe drinking water to thousands. There website has more great info on water scarcity.

Lastly, in honor of Christmas, recognizing that Jesus was born to immigrant parents. They were traveling in a foreign land and no one wanted to let them in. I plan to give to Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. Also, in honor and support of the 90 men, women, and children whose lives I was a part of while working there. I can't say there is much I can give up to make myself appreciate the struggles of immigrants but after spending 12 months listening to their stories and sharing their struggles, some of which you all read about in my blogs as a Border Servant Corps volunteer, I feel like I do know and connect with many of the challenges.

So you may say, that is only five of your points (or some of you may say please stop typing because I have to get to my online shopping ;) ) The sixth 'granted' in my life is all y'all. Simply, having a support system and people who say, "Oh, you got a new job. Awesome" or "Oh, you quit your job. Awesome." means a ton. So I am going to try my darndest to update this blog at the end of each week to share with you how the week with out a 'granted' went. And like I said three pages ago. If any of you want to join me in this adventure, even if only for a day, a week, or a financial commitment, I would love to reflect together - like a book group without the book.

On that note, I should get the few emails responded to that I must get back to before I leave my email for a week and then I must sleep. Happy Advent.

Karen