Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Where do I belong?

I spent an hour replying to an email from a Canadian friend about traveling in SE Asia. A big chunk of it ending up being links to my favourite NGOs in Phnom Penh. I included:

And then I watched a video that a friend shared on Facebook (which I noticed has since been taken down so I found a new link). 



Now when I should be going to bed, I'm wondering if Switzerland is where I should be. Is working at an international school with privileged children the place for me? It gives me the chance to earn money that I can share and to visit places like Cambodia and my brother's place in Manila (Gentle Hands) and perhaps by sharing my experiences in places like those and at my school in Tanzania, I can have an impact on the children (and maybe even adults) I work with here. But is that enough?
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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous22/11/12 14:36

    'Where do I belong'seems to be a recurring theme for people who have the kind of experiences you had in Tanzania and other long term volunteering. I've seen it in my own children.
    Your reasoning at the end of the post is sound... but maybe not enough to quiet the inner voices.

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  2. Megan23/11/12 02:38

    Thanks for commenting Edna. I was semi-prepared for these sorts of thoughts. They were some of the same ones that prompted me to head to Tanzania in the first place.

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  3. Clive23/11/12 05:46

    What is the most fulfilling for you? Where do you feel you have the greater effect? But it's never quite that simple - at least not for me. There are always deep unsaid thoughts. Good luck with finding the answer.

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  4. Unknown23/11/12 08:50

    I always feel a bit conflicted over these feelings in other people [myself too]. I know that the people who support missionaries, charities, humanitarian groups, etc. financially are an important part of the process, but I often wonder if it's a bit of a cop out for some. I don't mean that I think you are copping out ;-), just that I know from personal experience that giving money or helping raise awareness can alleviate the discomfort of not 'doing enough' for the less-fortunate and sometimes that discomfort needs rather to fester until until it drives one to something significant. I guess the most important thing is not to let the feelings you describe lead to dispair and apathy, but to keep drawing on them to be a positive force in the world...
    wow.... that was really preachy. sorry.

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