People drawn to Idealist are those who want to improve their corner of the world. We follow Canadian physician William Osler’s maxim that “we are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life.”
But it’s important to cast your desire to add to the world in a reasonable frame, otherwise you’ll never be happy with what you’re doing.
The sun sets behind the high school in Puerto Jimenez
Example: Right when I left for Costa Rica, the earthquake hit Haiti, and I thought, “I should be there.” Then Chile gets rocked, and I thought, “I should be there.” Now, I see Guatemala getting doused by massive floods, and I think, “I should be there.”
Teaching English is important. However, after reading about those disasters, it seems meager. Then, I look at what the other La Vida Idealisters are doing, and I’m blown away. Conflict management after a civil war. Working at an orphange. Sustainable energy and microfinance. I discuss when to put “-ing” on the end of words.
This relativistic approach hasn’t been limited to my time in Puerto Jimenez. In Chicago, I volunteered for 826 CHI, a creative writing and tutoring center. No matter how much I did, I always felt like there was more I could have done.
I doubt this mindset exists only in me. Everyone with the desire to do service work, whether on the weekends or as a career path, must think about it from time to time. The key is not to focus on what you should have done, but on what you have done.
Which, naturally, is easier said than done.
Kent Green is currently teaching English in Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica through Costa Rican English for Sustainable Tourism, a project of ALIARSE. For more on his experiences, check out his blog or follow him on Twitter.
Latest posts by kentgreen
- The Centries: Handing Out Awards to Central America - August 9th, 2010
- Sub-juncting Myself to a Test of Generosity - August 4th, 2010
- Nobody (At Least Not Me) Knows the Trouble Guatemala's Seen - August 2nd, 2010
- Oh No, Ojos! (or, Why Gringos Don't Make Eye Contact) - July 28th, 2010
- We Dance If We Want To (so why don't we?) - July 26th, 2010
- Getting Schooled in Spanish Schools - July 21st, 2010
- Guatemala's REAL Danger: Not Wanting to Leave - July 19th, 2010
- Living the High Life (and not even knowing it) - July 14th, 2010
- The Devils of Panama City - July 7th, 2010
- Paging Maintenance, We Have a Crisis in Aisle 4 - July 5th, 2010
