Peace in the Middle-Wherever

When I started this blog, I had every intention of it turning out quite differently. You may have noticed the title is “Journalpreneur,” and if you have noticed that, you may have wondered what that means exactly. Well, the chief reason I left that infamous job I previously had was due to the intent of starting my own business in downtown Wilkes-Barre. I don’t know if anyone’s heard about this yet, though, but there may be a little bit of a financial crisis of some sort going on here in America. So, as hard as it is for a twenty-something with no collateral to get a bank loan without a recession going on, it just got that much harder. This blog was to serve the purpose of tracing the events leading up to the opening of this business. But alas, Matt Wilkie’s bad timing knows no bounds. What’s an entrepreneur to do?

Now, I’m no stranger to things not working out for me. I honestly don’t think I can remember an instance of “right place, right time” in my life. That doesn’t mean that I sit there and complain about it, though. As Bishop Allen would say, “Things are what you make of them.” So, I’m making the best of this situation and taking stock of everything I do have going for me. And, ironically enough, the lack of things going on is what’s pushing me so strongly towards the decision I’ve made. I’ve got no strings to tie me down, and Wilkes-Barre, as well as the United States at large, may be put on hold for a while. Last night … I completed my application for the Peace Corps.

For many years now, the idea of joining the Peace Corps has been in the back of my mind. After graduating in May, I’ve wondered how to make the most of my time and use my abilities to do the most good I could. Joining the work force straight out of school proved to be somewhat disheartening after realizing that all my attempts at hard work were coupled with so much trouble. Being an entrepreneurship major, I am a firm believer that good or bad, you should be held accountable for your actions, and you should get out of every experience exactly what you put into it. That being said, I give everything I do my all and never back down from a challenge when doing something I firmly believe in. When I’m working towards a goal that benefits others as well, that’s something that I can really get behind.

I know that being a member of the world means that I should subscribe to a broader “We’re all in this together” mentality. I try my best to be a good person, do good for others, and hope that others do the same for me. Lately, however, I feel as though I haven’t been doing enough good and have been searching for a way to expand my impact. I’m not at a point in my life where I’m not financially stable enough to donate money to worth-while organizations, and even if I were, that seems too impersonal. So to travel and experience as many varied cultures as I can would help me to find my place in the world and what I should be doing to help it. I want to make a difference on a global level and lend a hand as much as possible.

I want to be a part of something big, something that could be long-lasting and help so many people. I want to look back at the end of my life and feel as though I made the most of it. I want to see the world through the eyes of others, and experience the world through myself. I want to expand my own horizons while helping others in real, significant ways. And I believe I can do all this and more through the Peace Corps.

Now, some people may be wondering what crazy step I’ll take if, like a lot of things I’ve tried, this doesn’t work out for me. Or maybe nobody really cares. I don’t even know if anybody’s even gonna read this. Well, to answer that question, I’m just gonna keep on living. After all, things are what you make of them, and I’m trying to make the best of everything.

Over-Thinking a Compliment

It all began with a simple phrase, one that's probably been said to you at some point in your life. A phrase that there is almost no response to, aside from, "Thank you." A phrase that makes me stop and think like none other. And think I have been. This phrase was simply this - "I'll say a prayer for you."

I'm not a religious person by any stretch of the imagination. I believe in my own form of God, whom I refer to as "God," and I do talk to God from time to time. But not every night like some people do. And I have nothing against those who pray on a regular basis. That's their prerogative; good for them. I'm just not the church-going, all-believing, kneeling-by-my-bedside-every-evening type. I'm nice to others, hope others pay me the same respect, and that's pretty much my philosophy in life. I don't share it with others much, nor do I care much to have others share theirs with me, and go about my life as a generally "good" person, in whatever meaning I take that to be. And being nice to others affords me the pleasure of meeting people who genuinely care.

I was at work the other day, and in discussing my occupational situation with a regular customer, I told him that I was just kind-of looking for the next step I would take in my life. In response he said, "I'll say a prayer for you." Like I stated before, all I could really respond with was, "Thank you," and then continued to go about my tasks. But it got me thinking: What should it matter to me, someone who doesn't pray himself, if someone else is praying for me? Was I appreciative? Absolutely. I thought that was a very sweet thing for this elderly gentleman to say. I think he was genuine in saying it, and I have no trouble imagining him including me in his daily correspondence to his deity. But how many others does he include in his prayers? As a follow-up to that, does the number of people he asks God to remember diminish the impact or importance of any one of those people? Does he say that he'll pray for every Johnny Hard-Luck Story? As a follow-up to THAT, is his God the omnipotent type that will remember everyone he asks Him to, or would I be lost in the shuffle due to overcrowding in his prayers? And aren't there others more deserving of help from above? I mean, I've already got a job, which is more than some people can say right now.

Maybe I'm over-thinking a compliment, if that's what you choose to call it. I mean, you could also call it an affirmation of someone's own beliefs, since what you're implying when you say, "I'll say a prayer for you" is "I believe in God, and I want Him to help you, even if you don't believe in Him." But I prefer to think of it as a compliment, of an acquaintance saying, "I think enough of you to keep you on my mind in my most personal and spiritual of moments." And even if I'm not the religious type, I still find that somewhat comforting.