Currently we are parked on the side of the highway, nursing our sick bus Big Mama. At approximately 4 a.m. last night Big Mama came down with an ailment that forbids her from ending the journey. So as we wait for a bus to come pick us up and spend our last hours chilling with Rueben I decided to say goodbye to our faithful friend and sanctuary these last 40 days.
Beckons to us after our 15 hour days
Innate ability to put me asleep
Glorious coffee every morning
Mothers 13 crazy children
Aromas abide that I never knew existed
Mesmerizes me with its shiny red colors
Always in my heart!
I love you Big Mama!
Well I guess this is goodbye for my faithful blog readers. Thanks for reading and sticking through some of the rambling blogs! I'll probably see most of you in person soon!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Meet Virginia
Either CNN has done a total revamp or I really have changed a lot over the past 37 days. As Emily, Shirah, and I sat down to the glorious cheap salad bar in the grocery store we are parked near, I found myself absorbed in the T.V. Instead of tuning out information that was either too depressing or didn’t seem relevant in my life, CNN was more like a collage of stories that weaved gracefully into my thought process these last 6 weeks.
A black woman in D.C. overcoming obstacles of race and gender to start her own business, Detroit's economy and the film industry arising there because of tax incentives fit right into our discussion this week and were places that we had traveled to within the last 7 days. I am guilty of being the girl who says in a class I can't get excited about "I will NEVER use this is real life." Its been an invaluable privilege to be in a class where the text book is the people and places we visit.
Our day in Williamsburg today was no different. We started the day off at Bruton Parish for their 11:15 prayer service. One of the oldest still operating churches in the U.S. we got to experience the Episcopal church in a place full of history. The Parish was key in some of the early colonial politics and has pews dedicated to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler, and James Monroe who had all worshiped there for significant amount of time.
After church and a quick lunch at a popular William and Mary hangout we set out for the Colonial Williamsburg experience. Talking to tourists, staff, members of the church, and the re-enactors lent to some interesting topics for our class time later on William and Mary's campus. At each stop we have been looking at the identity of the location and how it fits into the overall identity of our country. It wasn't hard for us to agree on a couple obvious themes in Williamsburg--patriotism and the emphasis on history. This wasn't a new idea to us in the past week, having just visited D.C., Philly, and Boston--which all show evidence of the same spirit. However, I couldn't help but wonder how some of the opinions we heard expressed today would have gone over on some of our West Coast stops.
One of the things that surprised all of us was that we sang a verse of "America the Beautiful" in church this morning. While I'm sure one of the sociology majors could write a interesting blog about the song as an example of the structural functional theory, I think it also demonstrates how much geographical location can effect the way people think and live. I got the chance to talk to one of the members of the church for awhile about Williamsburg and America at large. Janie had an unprecedented knowledge and passion for the history that had taken place in her community hundreds of years ago. She rattled off dates and names and challenged us on our knowledge of the U.S. and its history. She talked about how she could sit in church and regardless of the preacher, get the best sermon of her life knowing about what took place in the past to get her where she is today. Although it was clear we might not share all the same political views, I found myself admiring Jane for her knowledge and passion in an area I lacked.
Today we have Internet, Newspapers, and CNN to keep us up to date on the events happening all over our nation. However, my new found interest in current events, and Janie's life-long passion for Williamsburg demonstrate the impact of experiencing something first hand and reading about it or watching it on T.V. So how does that fit in on the grand scale of our country? It makes me think about the impact of D.C.'s location in our government, or why I've lived 20 years of my life without knowledge of whats taking place in places like Pine Ridge Reservation. If affirms the reason the West Coast is obsessed with preserving our environment when they have places like the Redwood Forest. I don't think travel is neccessary for these kinds of discoveries but I am thankful to have had the privilege to have my eyes opened.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Abe and D.C. (cont.)
Well today was another great day in D.C. especially because I got to see Jake!!! We spent the morning on a tour of The Capitol, met a lady from the Washington Post, did part of the Holocaust Museum, and went to listen to Jazz in the Sculptor Garden.
To continue with my thoughts from yesterday on Abe... I talked to a couple people including Jake and Pierce about the U.S. and their love for Abe. I think they both made some great points that I agree with. We've talked a lot about the "American dream" throughout the trip. People who've come from humble beginnings and ended up doing great things. In Boston, part of the group heard a man tell a similar story before the reading of the Declaration of Independence--he immigrated to the U.S. with no money to his name and ended up being a doctor who does AIDS research. I think Abe fits into this similar mold which rightfully inspires people of all backgrounds. We also talked about how we are taught to love Abe in Elementary school. I can remember a specific book that was read on Presidents day about Abe being overcharged for something and then walking an absurd amount of miles to return the small amount of change. Which leads to another theme on the trip--constructed thought. I think we see construction as a strictly negative thing. And we have definitely seen its ill effects throughout our adventure. So although its scary that I've been taught to love Abe I still find him to be someone to admire.
If nothing else my Abe experience has taught me, once again, to think about my ideals and values and what has shaped them. Sometimes these thoughts spur change and sometimes they solidify a value.
Whoa, this post definitely went in a different direction than planned. Headed to bed, so that we can attempt to squeeze in another full day tomorrow!
To continue with my thoughts from yesterday on Abe... I talked to a couple people including Jake and Pierce about the U.S. and their love for Abe. I think they both made some great points that I agree with. We've talked a lot about the "American dream" throughout the trip. People who've come from humble beginnings and ended up doing great things. In Boston, part of the group heard a man tell a similar story before the reading of the Declaration of Independence--he immigrated to the U.S. with no money to his name and ended up being a doctor who does AIDS research. I think Abe fits into this similar mold which rightfully inspires people of all backgrounds. We also talked about how we are taught to love Abe in Elementary school. I can remember a specific book that was read on Presidents day about Abe being overcharged for something and then walking an absurd amount of miles to return the small amount of change. Which leads to another theme on the trip--constructed thought. I think we see construction as a strictly negative thing. And we have definitely seen its ill effects throughout our adventure. So although its scary that I've been taught to love Abe I still find him to be someone to admire.
If nothing else my Abe experience has taught me, once again, to think about my ideals and values and what has shaped them. Sometimes these thoughts spur change and sometimes they solidify a value.
Whoa, this post definitely went in a different direction than planned. Headed to bed, so that we can attempt to squeeze in another full day tomorrow!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Yea, I'll pop in and say hey to Abe
As we made the dirt and duck poo filled walk to the Lincoln memorial, Andi, Pierce and I talked about Lincoln and his legacy. As I thought more about my knowledge of him as a person and a politician I realized it was very limited. Which is funny because I've been asked a couple different times who my favorite president is and I always say Lincoln. Which leads into a very interesting question about Lincoln and his iconic image and why we, as Americans hold him in such high esteem.
Out of all the monuments we saw at the mall today, the Lincoln Memorial was the most crowded by far. When I entered the cold stone hall where Abe sat, I felt the the temp and noise level drop instantly. Above his head read the words, "“In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.” I felt myself getting goosebumps but wasn't quite sure what the emotion was really stemming from.
That being said, I have yet to read "When Lilacs Last" so I am going to have to do a "To Be Continued..." after some thought and discussion on the topic.
In other news, we were in the Philadelphia inquirer so check it out!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090709_Looking_for_America__students_check_out_Philadelphia.html
Out of all the monuments we saw at the mall today, the Lincoln Memorial was the most crowded by far. When I entered the cold stone hall where Abe sat, I felt the the temp and noise level drop instantly. Above his head read the words, "“In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.” I felt myself getting goosebumps but wasn't quite sure what the emotion was really stemming from.
That being said, I have yet to read "When Lilacs Last" so I am going to have to do a "To Be Continued..." after some thought and discussion on the topic.
In other news, we were in the Philadelphia inquirer so check it out!
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20090709_Looking_for_America__students_check_out_Philadelphia.html
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Ahh...Philedephia
Some of the hardest days to blog on our days like today when I am overwhelmed by the amount of significant things I want to remember. So hang with me as I try to wrap up a day I could write a book about in a few short paragraphs.
We began our day at the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall where we also met with two local news representatives. At noon there was a reading of the The Declaration of Independence in the surrounding courtyard complete with reenactors that would shout and argue with the crowd. We found out that the reason this was done on July 8th instead of 4th like in Boston was because the 8th is historically the first time it was read. From there, we headed to lunch at an indoor market where we had lunch and then had class near Love Park.
At 6:30 we met up with Kez, Amy, and Joe at the Philly Mission Year headquarters. Mission Year is a service organization that takes people from the ages of 18-29 and immmerses them in inner cities across the country. In a nutshell the organization strives to be intentional about community and living simply. We got to sit down to a meal of pizza and once again I was blown away with how much can be shared when people sit down and break bread together.
From the moment we stepped off the subway in their neighborbood I knew this would be a unique experience. Their office was set in a small apartment on a busy street with bars in every window. Several times during our visit we were interupted by the sounds of sirens or loud music from the street just a few feet away. However, as Kez talked about her life, her faith, and her team members I found myself completely engaged. She spoke with an honesty, humility, and conviction about Christianity and service that I found inspirational and at times uncomfortable. I could feel my heart pounding hard as I sat and listened. I think I was reacting in two ways. On one hand, the concept of Mission Year completely terrifies me. Being isolated from family and friends, T.V., and Internet, and everything that is familiar and comfortable made me want to run in the other direction. In fact, in talking about the church and society, she even pointed out that we are often attracted to construction because there is safety in it. I recognize that I as an individual I suscribe to this comfort and that sometimes that can be inhibiting to me and others. On the other hand, I think my near cardiac arrest can be attributed to the the way in which these people encouraged me and inspired me. Its been hard as we've traveled through cities to see the "fire and brimstone" people on every street corner. Most times I feel angry and ashamed that as a Christian I get lumped together with them. While Kez was careful not to judge this form of religious expression, she explained that Mission Year does not bring tracts to doorsteps and stand on the street corners because that is communicating that God is not present in a place when in fact God has been working in these places long before they showed up. In other words, this kind of approach sends a nonverbal message of superiority that is not only a misrepresentation of the message but an instant turn off. She also touched on some of the problems in The Church and said that she could and has been angry about some of the misconceptions that were presented to her growing up but that she has come to understand that broken people were leading a broken person. Basically, the Church isn't perfect and how could it possibly be because we our imperfect people. Instead of that being a downer, I found it incredibly comforting that I don't have to place my trust in people but in a perfect God.
No suprise that this relates back to what we talked about with America and with personal identities and the difference between the image we protray and the message we send with our actions. Hmmm a lot to think about.
We began our day at the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall where we also met with two local news representatives. At noon there was a reading of the The Declaration of Independence in the surrounding courtyard complete with reenactors that would shout and argue with the crowd. We found out that the reason this was done on July 8th instead of 4th like in Boston was because the 8th is historically the first time it was read. From there, we headed to lunch at an indoor market where we had lunch and then had class near Love Park.
At 6:30 we met up with Kez, Amy, and Joe at the Philly Mission Year headquarters. Mission Year is a service organization that takes people from the ages of 18-29 and immmerses them in inner cities across the country. In a nutshell the organization strives to be intentional about community and living simply. We got to sit down to a meal of pizza and once again I was blown away with how much can be shared when people sit down and break bread together.
From the moment we stepped off the subway in their neighborbood I knew this would be a unique experience. Their office was set in a small apartment on a busy street with bars in every window. Several times during our visit we were interupted by the sounds of sirens or loud music from the street just a few feet away. However, as Kez talked about her life, her faith, and her team members I found myself completely engaged. She spoke with an honesty, humility, and conviction about Christianity and service that I found inspirational and at times uncomfortable. I could feel my heart pounding hard as I sat and listened. I think I was reacting in two ways. On one hand, the concept of Mission Year completely terrifies me. Being isolated from family and friends, T.V., and Internet, and everything that is familiar and comfortable made me want to run in the other direction. In fact, in talking about the church and society, she even pointed out that we are often attracted to construction because there is safety in it. I recognize that I as an individual I suscribe to this comfort and that sometimes that can be inhibiting to me and others. On the other hand, I think my near cardiac arrest can be attributed to the the way in which these people encouraged me and inspired me. Its been hard as we've traveled through cities to see the "fire and brimstone" people on every street corner. Most times I feel angry and ashamed that as a Christian I get lumped together with them. While Kez was careful not to judge this form of religious expression, she explained that Mission Year does not bring tracts to doorsteps and stand on the street corners because that is communicating that God is not present in a place when in fact God has been working in these places long before they showed up. In other words, this kind of approach sends a nonverbal message of superiority that is not only a misrepresentation of the message but an instant turn off. She also touched on some of the problems in The Church and said that she could and has been angry about some of the misconceptions that were presented to her growing up but that she has come to understand that broken people were leading a broken person. Basically, the Church isn't perfect and how could it possibly be because we our imperfect people. Instead of that being a downer, I found it incredibly comforting that I don't have to place my trust in people but in a perfect God.
No suprise that this relates back to what we talked about with America and with personal identities and the difference between the image we protray and the message we send with our actions. Hmmm a lot to think about.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Hey...as long as there is access to Fried Dough
Yesterday the alarm clock went off at 615 and Pierce, Shirah, Emily, and I tiptoed out of the bus to begin a 4th of July to remember. Little did we know, we wouldn't return to the bus for 21 hours.
After talking to people around the area, we decided to forgo the humongous line for the Neil Diamond concert and just secure a money spot for the fireworks over the water. We found a spot right by bathrooms, foodstands, and the water! We ended up buying shower curtains (to lay on), magazines, and junk food from CVS and camping out till fireworks. Although it was a long day, it was so fun to get to know the people around us and relax. We were surronded by such a wide variety of people from a young air force pilot and his family to a canadian family, to Janice and her Cosmo-reading husband.
Today everyone part of my body is tired and I have fallen asleep in several awkward places including a bench in Central park, but I will always remember our 4th of July in Boston. One of the people we talked to was Frank, a young guy that was sitting by himself reading. When we asked him our questions about what unites us he responded baseball. Pierce and I laughed thinking he was being sarcastic because he didn't strike me as the baseball type. But he was serious and said that as cliche as it might sound he had just been at a game and felt a common bond with all the people in the stands. As I snuggled in a blanket with Emma and Shirah later and sang along with thousands of people during the patriotic sing-a-long I thought about what Frank said. It would be easy to be cynical about some of the traditons of the 4th of July--the millions of dollars spent for a 20 minute show for example. But then I looked around me at the people I had spent the last 17 hours with and realized that we had formed a little temporary community--saving each others blankets, swapping stories, etc. And I took a deep breath and vowed to embrace the experience because feeling connected to people was something that I had missed and certainly a part of being an American citizen.
We had a good first day in New York full of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Central Park. More on that later but I HAVE to go to bed.
After talking to people around the area, we decided to forgo the humongous line for the Neil Diamond concert and just secure a money spot for the fireworks over the water. We found a spot right by bathrooms, foodstands, and the water! We ended up buying shower curtains (to lay on), magazines, and junk food from CVS and camping out till fireworks. Although it was a long day, it was so fun to get to know the people around us and relax. We were surronded by such a wide variety of people from a young air force pilot and his family to a canadian family, to Janice and her Cosmo-reading husband.
Today everyone part of my body is tired and I have fallen asleep in several awkward places including a bench in Central park, but I will always remember our 4th of July in Boston. One of the people we talked to was Frank, a young guy that was sitting by himself reading. When we asked him our questions about what unites us he responded baseball. Pierce and I laughed thinking he was being sarcastic because he didn't strike me as the baseball type. But he was serious and said that as cliche as it might sound he had just been at a game and felt a common bond with all the people in the stands. As I snuggled in a blanket with Emma and Shirah later and sang along with thousands of people during the patriotic sing-a-long I thought about what Frank said. It would be easy to be cynical about some of the traditons of the 4th of July--the millions of dollars spent for a 20 minute show for example. But then I looked around me at the people I had spent the last 17 hours with and realized that we had formed a little temporary community--saving each others blankets, swapping stories, etc. And I took a deep breath and vowed to embrace the experience because feeling connected to people was something that I had missed and certainly a part of being an American citizen.
We had a good first day in New York full of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Central Park. More on that later but I HAVE to go to bed.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Bahstun: Day 2
Although we never officially finished the Freedom trail we set out today to knock another chunk off of a place overflowing with history. Again we saw cemeteries dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries and got to see places that we've been reading about in our history books. We also came across a chilling memorial for Holocaust victims- that consisted of several glass towers with the numbers of people that died written in white on it. There were quotes from several survivors and man holes that kept the place looking constantly eerie with smoke. One of the quotes that will stick with me told this story "Ilse, a childhood friend of mine, once found a raspberry in the camp and carried it in her pocket all day to present to me that night on a leaf. Imagine a world in which your entire possession is one raspberry and you give it to your friend."
Throughout this trip we have talked to so many people about the American identity. All the answers have evoked different emotions within in me--sadness, pride, laughter, discomfort, disagreement, and more. However, we have consistently heard the importance of giving and passing on to those around us. Just today on the train, the guy I stood by who was a second generation immigrant from Cape Verde said "for every step forward one takes they need to reach back and help the people behind them out." When we were in the House of Blues, our cynical sarcastic tour guide said that being an American meant sharing what you have been given whether that be your education, money, time, etc. In Rossford, the mayor talked about paying it forward and how we, as a group, have the responsibility of sharing our experiences on this trip that we have been blessed with. I may not know all the political and sociological answeres for our country but I do know that sharing is something I can do. I am humbled and a little embarassed when I think about the quote from the Holocaust memorial--compared to such a beautiful depiction of humanity in some of the most inhumane circumstances-- I could definitely up my game in giving to those around me.
On a lighter note I got to see Jana, Zach, and Zach's parents Tom and Chris. Tom treated Emily, Pierce, Shirah, and I to lunch which was unneccesary but really nice! It was so great to see cousins especially since all three of us are missing the 4th up North and to get an idea of what Jana and Zach's life is like in Boston.
Throughout this trip we have talked to so many people about the American identity. All the answers have evoked different emotions within in me--sadness, pride, laughter, discomfort, disagreement, and more. However, we have consistently heard the importance of giving and passing on to those around us. Just today on the train, the guy I stood by who was a second generation immigrant from Cape Verde said "for every step forward one takes they need to reach back and help the people behind them out." When we were in the House of Blues, our cynical sarcastic tour guide said that being an American meant sharing what you have been given whether that be your education, money, time, etc. In Rossford, the mayor talked about paying it forward and how we, as a group, have the responsibility of sharing our experiences on this trip that we have been blessed with. I may not know all the political and sociological answeres for our country but I do know that sharing is something I can do. I am humbled and a little embarassed when I think about the quote from the Holocaust memorial--compared to such a beautiful depiction of humanity in some of the most inhumane circumstances-- I could definitely up my game in giving to those around me.
On a lighter note I got to see Jana, Zach, and Zach's parents Tom and Chris. Tom treated Emily, Pierce, Shirah, and I to lunch which was unneccesary but really nice! It was so great to see cousins especially since all three of us are missing the 4th up North and to get an idea of what Jana and Zach's life is like in Boston.
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