Because ASB is never complete without its share of inside jokes, only to be remembered and considered amusing by those who were present, I felt it necessary and fitting to title this post as I have.
Having been a participant on two Alternative Break trips, and now a trip leader on two, I am always amazed at how much even leaders learn from their teams. I lead trips (and all the stress that comes with them) to create good experiences for my team. And my team is amazing. From Uno and Scrabble, to hearing about the poopy smell of my room, the walking around the city, Metro-ing, dealing with my shrieks of joy upon encountering another man in uniform, for being so flexible, for being so open, for showing me that there are people in my generation that care about people and the world, and for teaching me as I was "leading" you - thank you. Thank you all for being who you are - honest, truth, and pure beauty. I miss you. And of course what we shared.
On the other side of the coin, on our "free" Friday (minus 4 hours in transit to the Hispanic War Veterans of America), we rode the Metro to Pentagon City (next to the Pentagon on the blue line) to get food. On came three women in Air Force fatigues. Nine pair of eyes opened with a new found light - our first interaction with the very people we had been theoretically talking and thinking about for a week. As we were getting off the train, a few of us walked up to the women, shook their hands, and said 'thank you.' A simply 'thank you.' Two words, but throughout this week, we've heard that phrase dozens of times. Oddly enough, from veterans themselves to us. Instead, I must insist on saying 'thank you' because I am extremely grateful for the sacrifice that these men and women make on a daily basis; the work that they do, though we may not agree with the why or the how, or the politics behind it, these people are just people. They are men and women who want to better themselves (like us), who want to get an education (like us), who want to support their families (like us), and who want to stand up for something (like us). Those women on the Metro, the man at Walter Reed with his baby on his hip and his wife behind him, swollen, shrapnel covered face, Audie Murphy and Tuskegee Airmen, the Jewish veterans and nurses, and the Navajo Code Talkers ... they're all just like us, like me. We are no different fundamentally, we are one, and we are the same.
On a more personal note, my thoughts on coming back to school and the grind of my internship, I've got a constantly flowing stream of thoughts going through my head. Like what's the oldest you can be to join the military (an actual consideration for me), how I wrestle with my feelings of trying not to seem like an invader into a foreign world (not just veterans but in all stations of life) while trying to do my best to make the world just and right, how much I value my education, how so much of human value is placed on the physical (but I've seen with my own eyes this week people with physical disabilities who are stronger, faster, smarter, probably better people than me), how I don't know my place in life, much less in the world. I don't know. I seem to be a big verbalizer but in my head, I have a lot more thoughts that never make it out. I guess all I can say is that each time I go on a trip like this, I find myself out of sorts without knowing how to be right again. But I guess maybe that's the point - that you're never the same person you were before a trip like this.
Signing off -
Joelle
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