Variety is the spice of life, right? In Senegal, I’m not so sure
this is the case, and that appears to be just the way many people like it.
There are around 4 or 5 meals that constitute the Senegalese diet. They eat
these same 4 or 5 meals throughout their entire lives and seem to continue to
enjoy them. There is no large supermarket to ponder over lunch/dinner options
for hours. There are usually no options except for whatever is grown in your
area or imported. There are 4 or 5 professions that everyone knows about and
aspires to be. Teachers, fishermen (in my area due to our proximity to the
coast), policemen, housewives, and sometimes I even hear doctors. There's
usually not years of soul-searching, pondering over these careers. If a
Senegalese person does well in their science classes, they'll probably pursue a
career in healthcare, because it just makes sense. Senegalese people are
considered fortunate and incredibly talented if they graduate high school with
their BAC, our equivalent of the GED. This test seems WAY harder than what our
graduation requirements constitute, plus these kids also probably already speak
at least 3 languages by now.
The point I’m getting to here is that there are less choices in
almost every aspect of life. While some of this lack of choice may make life
more complicated, mostly this simplifies life here. I think that I am beginning
to see Senegal in the positive light that I want to remember it in. The peace
of mind that comes with fewer choices is easy to spot here. I often speak about
the hardships I have faced but this experience has given me more than I ever
expected. Life doesn’t always have to be the serious, scary, fast-paced, and
complicated situation that many Americans and those living in a more developed
country see it as.
Many famous philosophers and historical figures have discussed the
notion of “1st world
problems,” or “privileged
problems.” Now, we’ve all seen the funny videos where first world problems are “issues”
such as a hot tub being too hot, a house that’s so big you need 2 wireless
routers, etc.
(See this video for a great ad campaign)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/05/first-world-problems-read-by-third-world-kids-ad-campaing_n_1943648.html?ir=World.)
But I am here to say that privileged problems can definitely be a
real and scary thing. Privileged problems come often from having too much time
on our hands and too many options at our disposal. If you don't have to hike 10
miles for enough water to bathe in that night, that can free up some thinking
time. Once your basic needs for survival are taken care of (food, shelter,
water, clothing, etc.), you end up having more time to ponder the other needs
in your life. These are things such as a fulfilling career, a loving companion,
and material things (a fancy house, car, clothes, etc.). While it’s wonderful
that many of us have freedom in deciding these areas, it also adds substantial
amounts of stress, anxiety and depression to our lives. The anxiety level is
palpable in the US. People are constantly chasing the next slew of “things” and
losing sight of enjoying the beauty of nature, relationships, and other human
interactions.
I’m not saying I would prefer no choices or that these extra needs
are not equally important. I'm also not saying that there aren't problems for many
people acquiring these basic needs in developed countries either. I’m only
saying that I wish that sometimes we could just take a step back, get some
perspective and appreciate all that we really do have. Even just having the
opportunity to live in the United States and the freedom to chase after
whatever dream we may have is something I for one will always be immensely
grateful for.
Anyway, as my time has pretty much come to an end here in Joal, I
find myself feeling very… weird. This whole “leaving Senegal behind possibly
forever thing” is kind of resulting in me having a surreal, out-of-body
experience. I feel as if I’m watching myself pack up some of my stuff, give
away most of my stuff, and say goodbye to my friends and family who’ve been in
my life for the past two years. I can’t believe it’s actually happening. I
don’t think I’ll believe it until I am on that plane out of here, for good, not
just for vacation. This is something I’ve wanted for so long and now that it’s
finally here, I don’t really know how to feel or what to think. As previously
mentioned, I just feel weird.
Although I do feel like I’m finally receiving the validation from Senegalese that I’ve craved for so long. For every hard goodbye, an accompanying tearful and heartfelt thank you has followed. People I didn’t even know that well have been praising me for my projects, thanking me for what I did to help their country and been overwhelmingly sad to see me go. It’s not as if I thought that my projects and relationships here meant nothing, I just didn't realize the extent of their meaning and I feel deeply validated and truly touched.
Even though I wanted to go home for most of it, I will always
treasure this experience and I am so grateful that my stubborn nature forced me
to stick it out. I feel like I have changed and grown in more ways than I could
have if I had just been working in the states. I’ve learned to really cherish
the relationships I have and to focus on what’s important in life. Coming back
to the earlier discussion of privileged problems, if I have my basic needs
fulfilled, I’m going to try to do my best to not freak out so much about the
other stuff and also to reach out and help those who are working on fulfilling
their basic needs.
I have a couple more weeks in Dakar, celebrating and tying up
loose ends. After that, America, I’m comin’ at ya and I can’t wait to see
what’s next.
Until the next time,
xx