Incoming Freshman: It's not too late to sign up for the 14th annual Day of Service! (you may also fill out page 57 of the Big Book of Forms).
---------------------------------------------------------------------
As part of my self-guided orientation, I've been surfing blogs of other VISTAs in my area. The blogs I have read tend to be a bit more...philosophical than mine, for lack of a better work. I tend towards posts that are "here is what I did today" rather than "here is the issue I pondered today." But these VISTAs that I've been browsing? They think deep thoughts. They ponder the VISTA experience, the struggle of poverty, the meaning of it all. They are blogging lots of thoughts that didn't occur to me and some thoughts that did.
I love learning about people's experiences and applying their lessons to my own life; sadly, VISTA is not the position best suited towards this passing on of knowledge, yet it is a position that could use it because VISTAs deal with some heavy stuff. But so it goes that one experienced VISTA leaves and another comes in the next day, fresh from Pre-Service Orientation . There is only so much that one can pass down in official documents or insert into the infrastructure of the position. I can leave instructions on how to meet with a client and sign them up for benefits, yes, but how do I convey the emotional component of asking personal questions, listening to their story, and the frustrations that come from only being able to offer limited help? How do I help the VISTA who follows me deal with all the heavy questions of poverty and access and need? I was lucky to have Claudine with me for a month to guide me through some of the knotty-ness stuff. Most VISTAs don't get overlap--they have to start from scratch.
And so I am grateful for the blogs that give me a window into the past when yesteryear's VISTAs were struggling with the issues I confront today. Intentional or not, it's an of emotionl infrastructure I was delighted to find (and I am sure there is more out there). I'm not entirely sure how this blog will contribute to the infrastructure since it is oriented to the BCSL instead of my personal VISTA experiences, but maybe once I sort out these things I've been thinking I'll be able to contect it all together and contribute too.
It's given me a lot to think about, to say the least.
No comments:
Post a Comment