"I tramp a perpetual journey, (come listen all!)
My signs are a rain-proof coat, good shoes, and a staff cut
From the woods,
No friend of mine takes his ease in my chair,
I have no chair, no church, no philosophy,
I lead no man to a dinner-table, library, exchange,
But each man and each woman of you I lead upon a knoll,
My left hand hooking you round the waist,
My right hand pointing to landscapes of continents and the
Public road.
Not I, not any one else can travel that road for you,
You must travel it for yourself." - Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
"Oh that I had in the desert A wayfarers' lodging place; That I might leave my people And go from them! For all of them are adulterers, An assembly of treacherous men." - Jeremiah 9:2
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I've been fortunate enough to take several journeys throughout my life. Many have taken me to new and exciting places, while others have simply taught me some important lessons. The ones that have taken me overseas and beyond have been blogged about quite extensively over the years; the other ones, not so much.
Beginning this fall, I will be embarking on the next phase of my life. A little more than a week ago, I graduated from college. Although I originally wanted to go on to graduate school, the number of applications for various programs I was applying to quickly had me realizing that I still don't know what exactly I want to do with my life. It dawned on me that spending another two or three years hiding behind school wouldn't answer the question, either.
One day in January, (literally five minutes after my first rejection letter,) I got an email that would change the course of my path forever. I was invited to apply to the House of Brigid, Inc. in Ireland, a not-for-profit organization that places a group of young Catholic adults in an Irish parish for one year. While the role is primarily to provide music ministry, the list of duties and responsibilities for the church is exhaustive. Long story short, I was accepted to the program for two years, the second year being a directorship position. Myself and three others will live and work communally in Clonard, Co. Wexford providing these services to the parishioners of The Church of the Annunciation.
Suddenly, my life made more sense. Given this incredible opportunity to serve the church in a way that was not only familiar, but attractive to me meant that I could take two more years to discern what my life's calling is. This isn't to say that the answer will necessarily come to me, but I will be able to take this time to grow in my faith and figure out what is truly important to me. Right now, I envision myself reapplying to graduate school in two years' time. However, as I learned with the House of Brigid opportunity, the course of my life could change in five minutes' time.
The purpose of this blog isn't necessarily to brag about all of the cool places and things I'll surely be doing during my service abroad. (Check out my other blogs, smcwocho.livejournal.com and smcfranceypants.tumblr.com for plenty of brag-worthy posts!) Instead, it's a place for me to finally muse on the various events going on in my life, and to connect the threads between them over time. One thing I've noticed in my years of journaling and blogging is that everything comes back to a common theme at one time or another. Since I'm at such an important crossroads, I figure it's the right time to start fresh with a new place to express these thoughts and observations. Who knows? The threads I connect might help me in two years when I'm back to the challenge of facing "the real world."
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Walt Whitman certainly says it best for me right now. This perpetual journey called "my life" is about to become an image of me with a "rain-proof coat" and "good shoes" as I relocate to the soggy Emerald Isle. (The staff can be considered optional...but I won't completely reject the idea yet.) I'd like to think of myself as a guide for others in a number of ways. Whether it's through my songs, service, writings, conversations, or other means of communication, I hope to point people down the path they find most comfortable.
I can't say that I necessarily want to escape the same evil society Jeremiah dreams of leaving in his passage, but I do want to step outside my comfort zone to help myself discover who I'm meant to be. My previous experiences abroad have been some of the most deeply spiritual and enlightening times of my life. I'm hoping my new locale, in addition to the service work I'll be doing, will provide me with similar inspiration.
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I can't promise how often I'll update this, but we can aim for once or twice a week. I'm excited to share this branch of my journey with you all!
--Joy.
P.S. Bonus points to whoever can tell me the origin of this post's title! :)
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