Blogger Envy and the Case For Africa

Ok. I've been reading some other blogger blogs, and I have to say there are people out there who blog better than me. I don't really know how I feel about that. My good friend Joi keeps a blog and she uses lots of links and pop culture references and talks about interesting things. Then there is this girl called thesciencegirl, who I don't really know but she's posted some comments on one of my other blogs, and hers is really good, too. Then I read mine back. I don't think its bad, but I don't reference much pop culture and the few links I have always lead to kind of boring things. I think I might have blogger envy. Does anyone know any good books about how to write better blogs? Get back to me with that.

As far as my last post: My best friend Alex read it (I think he gets some kind of email alert when I update the site) and he posted that comment about "Don't y'all think Christopher should go to Africa or something?" Or whatever he said. (I love the way I use quotation marks around phrases that aren't actually quotations. That's fun.) Anyway, no one responded to his comment, so I kind of feel like, "Ha, Alex, I win!" Except that I went ahead and applied for one of those positions. It was kind of a big step for me. It kind of isn't a big deal because I feel like to even be considered for the job is a long shot, but sometimes long shots end up happening for me, so that makes it a big deal. And why shouldn't I go, anyway. I'm single, young (27 is quite young, thank you), willing and able. Why be single if you're not gonna take advantage of the freedom you have, right? It's like the line from "Wicked" that says "And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free!" I like that. I also like the line that says, "Some things I cannot change, but 'til I try I'll never know." (Both of those really are quotes. That's even more fun.) And that kind of applies to what it is I'm talking about here. Does that make sense to you?

Anyway, so I thought I'd expound upon my last blog entry and talk about each of those locations I'm considering. Heck, if nothing else, it might give me some clarity on what it is I'm doing with this life. Let's see. We might as well go in order of preference. Which means: Sub-Saharan Africa. Why do I want to go to Africa? The rational/analytical side draws a blank. Really, I don't know anything about Africa. I mean I've read books. Some fiction, some non-fiction, some picture books. But I don't really KNOW Africa. Why do I even think I could survive a day in Africa? What could I have possibly learned growing up in a small town in the United States of America that could prepare me for life in Africa? Nothing, I think.

But somehow on a more visceral, dare I say emotional, level I feel like I'm supposed to be in Africa. I see signs. Not logical signs. The kind of signs that are more easily passed off as coincidences. John Nash kind of signs. The kind of signs that you shouldn't really talk about and you should NEVER blog about because people might think you're crazy. But try as I may to dismiss them, they oddly point to the same place. Africa. Why do I have close friends and closer relatives who have or are going to spend time working in Africa? Why do I have a very tender place in my heart for children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS? Why did Alex have to turn me on to Invisible Children? To me they are signs.

If it were someone else I would be skeptical. I would say, "What are you talking about? Those aren't signs. Most people probably know people who've been to Africa, there are kids on every continent affected by HIV/AIDS, and as far as the Invisible Children, it's a very powerful grass-roots movement that is daily gaining momentum, you were bound to hear about it sooner or later. It doesn't mean you go running off to Africa." My analytical mind sometimes causes me to be brutally honest. And by sometimes, I mean virtually always. But its not someone else. It's me. And being me, I can't dismiss the visceral, emotional, spiritual, mystical part of my being, which tells me that maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but someday I am supposed to be in Africa.

So Africa is my first choice. It's where I would go if there were no obstacles. And that was a lot longer than I meant for it to be and I am really tired, now, so I'm going to bed. You'll have to check back later to hear about the next place on my short list of where I want to be: back to NYC.