Trend of the World

There's a lot going on these days! America is still in the throes of deciding its course of action (or hopefully, diplomacy) with Syria, Congress is dealing with (well, hopefully at all) a possible government shutdown, Seaside Park in New Jersey is in flames, and the whole world feels like it's all going to hell in something decidedly larger than a handbasket. Maybe an armbasket?

google imaged "arm basket" and "basket of arms" before trying "huge basket." would not recommend.

But then again, I'm pretty sure that's what every generation says when crazy things start happening.

"The Spanish Inquisition is here! These blockheads are killing lots of folks and trying to force me to give bizarre confessions about my private life!" "I'm a plantation owner in the South! It's 1866 and I can't own humans!" "World War II is over! Communists are trying to destroy America! Things are red and scary!"

google imaging "world is ending" is much more successful

I intended to write a post tonight about all of the cool things that I've learned at my job the past few days - how I've learned how to change and patch a tire, install windows, nail on house wrap and sheathing, set up pump jacks, and that walking on a rooftop is emotionally easier if you crabwalk but that you will lose all professional credibility if you do so.

I wanted to write about all of these cool and interesting things that make me come home exhausted and sweaty at the end of another training day during which I learn how to build things. One day soon I'll be managing my own worksites and I'll be taking volunteers to houses so they can help rebuild a small part of a broken but beautiful city in a brilliant but butchered world.

I don't have answers to the world's problems and sometimes it's hard to even come up with a rationale behind the chaos (e.g. this is God's will; sometimes things just happen; this world is messed up; it's all random and there is no meaning). I think all of these responses are valid in certain contexts. Mostly, I think that crazy things have been happening to people for millennia and to the rest of the universe for eons.

It's tempting at this point to formulate a response to all the craziness: we must try to fix everything while we're on this earth; we should look forward to heaven instead - the world is too far gone; we should focus on the good things in life; we must trust more fully in God; we must increase our love and decrease our hatred; we must each work in our own way to do more good than harm; we need to give more to non-profits; we should blame the government, etc.

Again, all of these have merit in certain situations. I'm not going to advocate a single one for fear of oversimplifying.

And that gives me great peace. I get to be one little confused and unsure piece of a much larger impossibly complicated 7 billion piece puzzle that has definitely lost a few of its edges.

But then again, maybe that's both my rationale and my response. I said I wouldn't and then I did. Sorry, y'all!

Starting Work!

So, I had my first day of work yesterday.

And it was awesome. Also, I cut about 10 inches of hair off and have a sweet new pixie cut. Gotta make it to the end to see it! Until then, here's a quick breakdown of what I'll be doing this year:

I'll be working for Project Homecoming, which is a New Orleans non-profit that grew out of the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) response to Hurricane Katrina 8 years ago. We build houses for people who have been victims of contractor fraud or who have been subject to other terrible things as a result of Katrina (and by that I mean the levees breaking. The city flooded in the days after the hurricane when the levees were ripped apart). Anyways, I'm going to be a work site manager, which means that I'll be in charge of taking volunteer groups to worksites each week. The thing I love most about Project Homecoming is that it's centered on community building. We don't just jump in and build houses without consulting with the people. Their opinions and needs are paramount to our mission. I'm gonna be so handy, y'all! Since you've made it this far, I'll give you a preview to my new hair as a prize.

Haha just kidding. I didn't get new glasses.

I'll have about another month of orientation learning how to actually do my job before they unleash me on a house (still with much supervision).

Last weekend, we got to visit the bayou. It's pretty sad to see how the oil companies cut swathes in the marsh for pipelines that start out about 5 feet wide, but after 2 or so years, they are over 60 feet wide. This brings in huge amounts of extra salt water from the gulf which leads to huge amounts of erosion. People are getting displaced, y'all! There are lots of Native American tribes in the area (22 of the 29 in Louisiana aren't recognized federally for stupid reasons) and lots of them will lose their homes in the next 10 years due to the wetland erosion. Nothing like adding a little more poop onto the huge dungpile of American relations with native peoples.

After that downer, here's my new hair!

 

 HAHA I couldn't resist. I promise I didn't get any new glasses, guys!

Have a great night, everybody!