Patrick Furlong attended Loyola Marymount University, where he was the co-founder of a popular service organization called Magis. As graduation neared, he became a bit too obsessed with Peace Corps infomercials asking how far he would go to answer life’s calling and before he knew it, found h[...]
Archive for the ‘Op Ed’ Category
The Well-Planned Life or The Summoned Self?
I recently read in the New York Times an article that helped articulate the confusion I’ve been feeling lately regarding “the next step” once my job in Peru is over. The op-ed piece by David Brooks is entitled The Summoned Self, and outlines two ways of thinking about life. The first is the We[...]
Profits vs. People
Costa Rica is arguably the most “developed” country in Central America. But at what cost has this “development” been attained? Is it really an accomplishment to be able to say, ¨We cater to the interests of gringos better than anyone else?¨ Or would it be more noble to pass[...]
Everybody Say Lúcuma: A Follow-Up to “Buying a New Jacket While Surrounded by Poverty”
In response to my post “Buying a New Jacket While Surrounded by Poverty,” I received a number of insightful comments, both privately and through La Vida, on the question of how much personal spending is reasonable to help the underprivileged, and whether this should increase when working closely[...]
Sometimes Reality Hurts for an Idealist
One of the hardest things about being an idealist is that many times reality hurts. A lot. When I heard about the attack on a caravan of activists in Oaxaca, Mexico a couple of weeks ago, which resulted in the deaths of both a Mexican and a Finnish activist, it hurt. I don’t know either [...][...]
Coming to the U.S. “Sin Papeles”
During my time in Ecuador, I have met a number of people who came to the United States to work sin papeles, or as undocumented workers. The current debate about immigration in my country is just as heated as ever, so I won’t get into the politics of immigration. I’ll just tell you what I[...]
Two Questions I Don’t Like to Answer
Every once in a while somebody here in Solentiname will ask me if I believe in God. This has become my second least favorite question to answer. My very least favorite question, however, is how much my digital SLR camera costs. After I realized that my camera alone (excluding my lenses) cost as much[...]
Without Corn There is No Country (Sin Maíz No Hay País)
“Maíz is life, it is happiness, it is parties, it is everything,” said Raúl, a campesino from the state of Hidalgo who we interviewed at the “¿Transgénicos? No, Gracias.” conference this week in Guadalajara. “When the contaminated [genetically modified] corn came into our are[...]
Neighborly Relations
“How can we improve the relations between the US and Mexico and be better neighbors?” Whoa. Big question, right? This is one of the questions we ask every interviewee in the documentary we are creating in Guadalajara, Mexico. US/Mexico relations are embarrassing and sad, and we want to help [...]
