I’m not a highly credentialed human being. I’m not the best in my field. I’m not the most knowledgeable. What I do have is a passion for people. I’m intrigued by the inner workings of people’s minds. I try not to be quick to judge and try to be the quickest at seeing other perspectives and understanding you and why you do what you do. I may not agree with you, but I want to understand. I love figuring out why people do what they do – the psychological intrigue of human behavior, if you will.
I love the elderly and children. I narrow that down by focusing on children because, ultimately – when working with the grandmas and the grandpas of the world, there is a changing of the guard. My heart isn’t equipped to handle many changes in that regard, so I have children as my focus. Granted, occasionally one of the children is called to heaven prematurely, by our standards, but it’s less frequent and I handle occasions better than frequencies. Specifically within that realm of serving children, incorporating my knowledge base of interpreting – I, for now, am choosing to serve deaf children.
After my visit to Ghana I’m determined to make a change in the world. I never much agreed with globalization and becoming one entity because we all have our own identity; to me our individuality is a sacred thing. Recently, a tid bit of wisdom – we’re all cut from the same cloth, just a different pattern – possibly a different dye job, still the same cloth. With that in mind, why don’t we want to help EVERYONE!? I have a constant inner struggle because I want to help the world but, at the same time, don’t want to abandon my backyard. I am constantly thinking; I never understand when my husband says he’s not thinking anything – how can you think nothing! (A perspective I’m still trying to understand is his – never said I was perfect at seeing things from others views – just that I like it and it’s a challenge!)
Anyway, I’m always thinking – it’s annoying when you’re trying to sleep. So, my recent thoughts turned toward an obsession to help others worldwide with the education of deaf children while serving the children in my own country. My conclusion is this: I want to start an organization that allows deaf schools all over the world to be paired up with each other allowing for a symbiotic relationship to take place. If there is a school like the one I visited in Ghana that lacks resources and knowledge – their sister school can offer support, guidance, and ideas. The sister school, in turn, can become aware and in tune with another culture. We could foster a love of people and the variety of cultures by becoming one. Sounds like a paradoxical conundrum, but it’s possible.
My challenges would be technology, cultural sensitivity, recruiting willing volunteers, variances on the ideas and attitudes towards educating the deaf, the simple task of setting it up.
I’m excited because the local paper wants to do an article on my experiences. Possibly, the “newsletter” VIEWS will run an article as well. Who knows, maybe I could conduct a workshop about thinking internationally – Interpreting: An International Perspective – the possibilities are endless. Only my imagination, and willpower to succeed, …and drive will limit me.
My sister and I recently decided there are so many thinkers in the world – but what brings you to the next level is becoming a doer. We promised each other to be a doer. There aren’t many doers because it is a hard thing to formulate an idea, make a plan, carry through – and not worry, or embrace failure. The worst thing that can happen is that you fail. Which is worse, the possibility of failing or never having the courage to try?
The reason I called this post “butterflies” is because of a conversation I just had, about an hour ago, with my mom about something she referred to “The Butterfly Effect.” I Wikied it. I didn’t dive too much into it, but mom based her comment off of my observation that went something like this: it’s amazing to me how intricately woven each of our lives are. There was a man who was inspired to write a story that became a screen play that became a movie called Mr. Holland’s Opus. There was a man who was inspired to become a band director who was motivated enough to take his band to California where they saw a movie called Mr. Holland’s Opus. There was a woman who was inspired to serve a school in Cape Coast, Ghana that contacted a nationally known interpreting organization, RID, to spread awareness of the school for the deaf in Cape Coast. There was a woman who was inspired to become an interpreter who was in a commercial about the interpreting program at Columbus State Community College. There was a mother and a father who moved their children across the country – where one of their daughters went to school and was in the band that saw the movie that was an inspired masterpiece. This daughter moved across (the other way) the country, saw the commercial – became an interpreter. This daughter read about an organization that served people in Ghana that was started out of an inspiration to make the world a better place. If any one of those events hadn’t happened, there would be a hole in the tapestry of life that has been woven – that I am helping to weave. A work that you are adding your beautifully individual pattern of dyed cloth to.
A is for Amanda... 