Pregnant Donkey's and Writing Contests

My mom sent me an email with a link to a writing contest entitled, "I never thought I'd..." She thought I might enjoy giving a crack at winning her a trip to New York. She's so sweet. I immediately became interested and drafted up several version of what I hoped would meld into one award-winning essay. We shall see. Here it is, please feel free to critique, comment, and suggest. I am more than open to your ideas and opinions. Wish me luck!

"Turn Right at the Pregnant Donkey" by Adrienne Hadaway

“Turn right at the pregnant donkey.” That’s what I tell people when they ask for directions to my home. Turns out the donkey was never actually pregnant, just fat. I’m relieved never to have asked this donkey, “boy or girl?” That would have been awkward. It may seem strange to some to give directions in this way but for me, here in Bulgaria, it’s been quite useful. Though, I suppose, if that donkey were to decide that the grass was actually greener on the other side, not to mention tastier, I may never have another visitor.

I never thought I would join the Peace Corps. That’s where I am currently, in a small village in Bulgaria teaching English, integrating into a new culture, and studying a language so difficult that I often think to myself, “What was I thinking? I can’t do this!” However, those moments fade when I look into the faces of the beautiful children living here, when I see the old women walking through the village streets as if from another era, when a 50 kilometer bus ride can transition one from a tiny town full of red tile-roofed cottages scattered among the hills to a bustling capital city of 7 million. I always knew I wanted to experience adventure. I always knew I wanted to relate to a new culture. I always knew I wanted to challenge my assumptions and general way of thinking. But I never thought I would join the Peace Corps.

Upon leaving my beautiful state of California for this daunting adventure many people asked, “Why are you going?” or “The Peace Corps? What’s that? Is that like the army?” Apparently the word “peace” was not descriptive enough. Though, to be honest, while I did have a basic idea of what joining this organization entailed, I had always imagined it consisted of a group of individuals completely dedicated to a very specific cause. I had no idea that it’s actual mission was so simple, so broad, so all-encompassing: spreading peace and friendship. That’s it. Though to say “that’s it” is to imply that it lacks importance or influence which couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Spreader of peace and friendship” is much too long for a business card though still a title not to be dismissed as outdated, cheesy, or trite. People have always pursued peace. The idealistic will never give up on peace and even the realistic know that, though total harmony may not actually be achievable, the amount we strive to achieve it is proportional to the happiness of everyone. And friendship is as old as time, the cornerstone to any relationship worth having. Friendship transcends peace and takes it from a passive tranquility to an active desire to make others happy. To be a “spreader” of these two things is an important task that can be performed in any number of ways, down a multitude of avenues, and from a variety of personalities, perspectives, and passions.

My passion happens to be education. I value knowledge and wisdom, as many people do, and desire to motivate and encourage others to feel the same. To value something is to consider it of such significance that it plays an important role in ones’ life and education is truly something to value, something of such worth that it should play an important role in the lives of all. This will be my course, my method of spreading peace and friendship here in Bulgaria, accomplishing the goals I have set for myself to encourage passion for knowledge as well as to increase my own.

Though in my wish to encourage learning and it’s pursuit, I did not initially think to myself, “Hey, now, the Peace Corps seems like the way to go.” No, I went to school, I got my degree, I received my credential and I tried, in vain, to acquire a job teaching elementary age children in California. The timing was bad, the economy worse and I found myself, like so many others, in a rut. I don’t like ruts. The word itself is unattractive and my desire to claw myself out of this rut was all-consuming. I’ve never worked so hard in my life to achieve so little. Though, maybe I gained more than I thought, because it lead me to the conclusion that all this effort I was putting into myself was a bit selfish. I had focused on me for so long that I forgot the importance of focusing on others, that by helping others you, in turn, often help yourself. I decided to dedicate my time, my knowledge, my skills, my life to helping others though secretly knowing I would receive a multitude of blessings in return which makes the seemingly selfless task of joining the Peace Corps not quite as shiny and pure as one would think but definitely more genuine.

So here I am, a hippie of sorts, a pursuer of knowledge and peace and friendship. A dedicated volunteer with arms and a heart that open up a little more each day. I always knew I wanted more from this life but I never thought I’d join the Peace Corps. But I’m so glad I did and cannot wait to see what wonderful things come as a result of this unexpected yet pivotal choice.

-Age