The World (in me), Part 2

Life with different shades of experience is worth exploring and embracing. The world in me, in this chapter, is full of great and unexpected memories, yet is always sweet at the end of my tongue.

I will start to summarize my experience from the present and go backwards to when I first arrived this country. This journey is sacred and has an endless magic.

Today, in fact, was one of the best days of this year. I took my ESL class for a field trip at Eastern Market, in northeast DC. My world was reflective as soon as I let the students start their journey. I waved good-bye to them and reminded them to complete their tasks and enjoy the journey. Thirteen of them made me think of my own life in exploring this world.

Metaphorically, I summarized my few years of living here in America, and the students voiced my summary this afternoon. They did not know or plan to do that. Somehow I started to make a connection.

I started to make a connection with my students' lives. Maria and Jose work at a fast food restaurant, from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday. They make minimum wage, living an unnegotiated life but are forced to continue. Since the future is unknown, it is better to be in the present and adjust to it than not doing anything. Siti told me that if I am happy with what I am doing, that when I die, I will go to heaven! Carlos, Maria, Yesania and Daniel really enjoyed seeing people from all over the world, at the market. Ovidio reported that he practiced English a little but he was happy to go out and do different things. Roberto ran to a Salvadorian restaurant to get his afternoon snack and I reminded him to practice English. Jose spoke very limited English but put a great effort in trying to answer my questions. I really enjoyed all of the small dialogue that I had with each of them and, to be honest, what really mattered is that their confidence and comfort level of being in this English-speaking country increased, bit by bit, day by day.

Now back to my life. It is chunks of my experience that sometimes have discouraged me from seeing the big and wonderful picture of each step that I leave with my footprints here, in the American dirt. But those chunks can be a test, like the basic class for my adult students at Eastern Market.

After being, among other things, a baker, a social worker at a family shelter, and a Program Director at a non-profit in D.C., I can look back and appreciate the strengths and the weaknesses that I have faced. I cannot go back, can only move forward with a newer, greater sense of appreciation that life is, indeed, composed of a sacred journey with twists and turns.

The most important thing is that I am still alive, healthy, happy and I will keep reflecting on this everyday sacred journey.

TAN