Construction has begun

I just heard from my friend in Kumba, David, that construction on the new market began recently. After a great deal of bureaucracy, the town took matters into their own hands. The shopkeepers agreed to pay the next year's rent in advance to have the market built. I'm sure it was a struggle for many of the traders, and I'd like to think the credit unions helped out in the process. The people have bypassed the national government and made things work at a local level.

Shout out to my South African Fam

Over a year ago, I spent about a month in a South African hospital. My dad came out to visit for a week, and the local Peace Corps doctor, Leanne Milton, saw me almost daily. Besides that my day was filled with reruns of American TV, some SA Afrikaans/English programming, and cricket (I didn't think there was a sport worse than baseball). However, my days were also filled with a family who made me feel at home even though I was 8,000 miles away. When my dad visited he stayed at a local bed and breakfast owned by a vivacious and positive lady named Erika, her hard-working and equally optimistic husband, and their daughter, Sigi, a caring and adventurous young lady. Erika and Sigi visited me nearly every day and will never know the enormous impact they had on me. Erika and her husband are still running the bed and breakfast - I hope to visit them soon- and Sigi has made her way to London. I urge you to visit Sigi's blog and see what all she's up to: sigiblog.blogspot.com. Thank you is not enough to express my gratitude. Miles away from any sense of normal and it is amazing the comforts that emerge.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have A Dream"

In honor of Dr. MLK Jr. I'd like to submit to you a vivid memory I have of his birthday.

When I was around 12 my older brother and I decided to participate in the annual Denver march to the Capital. Participating was my older brother's idea, and I was lukewarm to the prospect of walking a couple miles on a frozen January morning. As the march began, though, my mood quickly changed from apathy to elation as the positive energy from the visible diversity was felt. But as the enthusiastic throng approached the Capital a disheartening sight met my eyes. On the steps of the Capital were gathered about 30 members of the Ku Klux Klan. As my heart sank I turned around to face my fellow marchers. Around me were thousands - perhaps, tens of thousands - of like-minded individuals. At this moment I realized that, while ignorance and bigotry is a reality, those who believe in this close-minded way will, eventually, be in the minority.

Even today the dream is not yet realized for every person. We are quick to repeat the same mistakes of the past against those who are in the minority. I have learned, though, that time is on my side. At some point we will all be free to express whom we are without fear of retribution.

Check out my MySpace site at: www.myspace.com/ericswords. It's not just for 13 year olds anymore! Also, check out a revolutionary microcredit site where you can make a difference: www.kiva.org.

Since I’ve now been home for over a year now, and, as of December 28th, 2006, have to reapply for the Peace Corps; it looks like I’m sticking around. While I have stayed up at night contemplating how to kill this blog, I’ve come to realize that the blog that keeps on blogging cannot be exterminated. No matter how hard I try it will live on. When a young child sees his first rainbow and dreams about the gold at its end, the blog is there. When a newborn butterfly escapes the confines of his cocoon and spreads her glorious wings, the blog is there. Never has a blog meant so much to – Shut up! It’s only a collection of crazy musings by some kid with way too much time on his hands. Um yeah, well, I can’t argue with that.

2007 will see some changes. I’m getting a little sick of constantly talking about doctors and crap in all my entries. While I’ll continue to update, from time to time, my condition for those of you who I don’t see, I’d like to go in a different direction with this. Sure personal updates have their place, but I’d like to change it up. Haven’t thought about how, but stay tuned, or not. I’ll keep going anyway.

Quick update: Living with my brother and sister-in-law, have another volunteer job at the local workforce center (should be very interesting), GMAT in February, and doctors appointments (I mentioned it. HA HA!) in the next couple of weeks.

Happy New Year to all! Try to do something good for someone you don’t know in 07. This is gonna be the year the pendulum swings back and the role of positive energy begins to dominate. Don’t depend on those in power to make things better. We already have the preparation, now we have the opportunity. Much love!