Let's try this again (and Three Cups of Tea)

Since my boot camp and coming down to Naples, Fla. I have not updated this at all. Maybe because I've been to busy wasting my days away behind the pages of books, and my nights in front of a computer screen or maybe it's because of the small amount of people who probably will ever read this. I'm not so great at PR when it comes to getting the word out about my own endeavours, and I also feel this blog doesn't offer much to the world (considering the millions of blogs already out there).

However, I like to write. And I like to share my opinions. Plus, it's something productive to do during the long days before I head to the Naples Daily News. Though this blog in now way represents the opinions of the organization -- it's all my own personal thoughts and opinions.

My first post back is about a book you should read this summer, even if you don't read anything else.

It's called Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. And it'll change your life, even if just a little.

I'm not sure exactly when I purchased this book, but it has been sitting on my shelf for almost a year I presume. (alongside more than a dozen other books I have yet to read).

But Three Cups of Tea should not have been sitting there for so long, and I only assume it was pre-destined for me to read it when I did. It's the story of Greg Mortenson, a biography if you will, about his adventures mountain climbing and how they led him to a small village in Pakistan, where he learned the kindness of the village's people and their biggest struggle: educating their youth. This small village's plight inspired a promise from Mortenson that he would build them a school. And he kept his promise, a thousand times over. What this single man accomplished at such a young age is astounding, and he still continues his amazing work building schools all across Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was THE most inspiring book I have ever read.

Mortenson created a foundation to help fund all his projects, called the Central Asia Institute (CAI). I have made a promise to myself that I will save at least $100 this summer to donate to the foundation. (https://www.ikat.org/)

Also, because I have so much time on my hands during the day (basically every day until about 3p.m.) I decided that although I can't do anything close to what Mortenson has done and is doing, I could give back to the community in some way. I decided to volunteer with the Literacy Volunteers of Collier County (LVCC). I believe that everyone in America has the right to the same opportunities as I do -- no matter where they are from, or even if they are here legally or not (personal opinion, of course). But doing so is hard if one does not know the language well. The LVCC teaches English to illiterate and non-English speaking people living in Collier County, Fla. I wanted to be a tutor, but despite my free mornings there still really wasn't enough time for me to take the training and learn the lessons. So instead I will be helping to categorize and inventory the group's small library and also help monitor its computer lab every Saturday. I also bought a few guides to Spanish, since I know very little of the language -- having only taken French and Italian.

My contribution may be small, but every time I leave the center I feel good about what I am doing, and that I've made a difference in someone's life - even if indirectly. I have also begun an application for the Peace Corps. and am going to look into volunteer ops. for teaching English in another country. I want to give back as much as I can while I am young, and with the economy the way it is, I'd rather graduate knowing I'll be giving back and not at home, jobless.

So read Three Cups of Tea, and see if it makes you look at things in a different light.

(In addition, I think this'll be my theme for Friday posts: charities.)