The next chapter

In the past several years, I've made many personal and professional accomplishments in the corporate world. My experience has been more than rewarding. However, events in the last few years have given me a new perspective that I must now act upon.

Last winter, my father was stricken with cancer and passed away in only a few months' time span. After he passed away, I learned of his story of abandonment as a child and chaotic travels between foster homes. I understand better now why he was so proud of my volunteer work helping other children when I was as young as ten years old. He worked hard his entire life, and never hesitated to reach out his hand to help another. I'm very fortunate to have had a good teacher and a good example.

But nevertheless, enduring the journey of loss is one of the most edifying accomplishments in life. I've learned much about myself and about others. Certainly, a life working in the business world can be educational and valuable, and a person can earn plenty of money doing it. But money, I've realized, truly does not buy happiness. One of my revelations was for my life, the most important needs are a place to sleep, food to eat, and most importantly -- people that care. I have been fortunate beyond words to have all these things and much more. In my reflections, I realized that I really don't need that "much more" to be happy in life.

Real happiness is simple. It's the glimmer in an eye that's learned something new about their world. It's the smile on the face a fellow human when they've found a true friend. A real friend -- one that will stand the test of time -- is someone that might help you to make your world a little bit better, or they may just simply be there to lend an ear and commiserate. And this is why I believe my journey in the Peace Corps will be wonderfully rewarding for me. In my mind, America -- the real America -- is a story told over hundreds of years. A story of reaching out to help others, building community, and building an experience created by people of countless diverse backgrounds. One person at a time. That's why Peace Corps is so alluring to me. While its goals are grand, they are attainable because the program works on the level of individuals, of real people. I've always been a believer in that true, original spirit of America, and have been searching for some time to find a better way to express that in my life.

While I know I can't change the world, perhaps I can make a difference for the better for one or two fellow humans, and leave them (and me) with an improved understanding of America and a deeper connection to the values we as a nation claim to espouse.