In which Tim considers new careers...

I mentioned in a recent entry that during the Thanksgiving party I performed a song on stage. It was fun. And it hasn't been the end of my musical displays.

A friend of mine was recently playing his guitar, singing Dominican folk songs, and asked me if I wanted to sing something in English. I provided my best rendition of "country roads, take me home." He loved it, and tried to keep up on guitar.

Lately I've been singing a lot of Christmas carols. Little kids like to try to copy me when I sing. "Hark the herald angels sing" and "O come Emmanuel" are a little tricky for them, but they are catching onto "Jingle Bells" pretty quickly. Last night I found myself surrounded by about twenty teenagers in the park, asking me to regale them with song, so I did. They were quiet as I sang, and then clapped and cheered as I finished.

Who knows? Maybe with the economy being the way it is, I should investigate a career in the fine arts. Any thoughts?

unpublished works: part 1

I submitted a piece to my hometown paper, but I think it was too late for the to use around the holiday weekend.  Here it is for your possible enjoyment:

Thanksgiving from Abroad

Timothy S. Brown

It is late fall, and there is something in my Wisconsinite bones that is telling me to look for that last glorious display of autumn colors, or the first snow flake of winter. I can almost taste the fresh apple cider, and smell the chill building in the air. This is the time of year when #4 likes to lead the Pack to dramatic victories, and something inside me is dreaming of playoff glory. Next week is Thanksgiving day, and my mind is filled with all of these familiar, seasonal images.

On this particular year, though, the images are for me no more than a memory. This year I am serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic, far away from the familiar sights and smells of the mid-western autumn. I've traded fall colors and snow for banana trees and hurricanes. Instead of apple cider in my mug I have the coffee that grows on the mountain where I now live. The cool air of winter will never arrive to cut through the eternal Caribbean summer. And we all know what happened to Brett Favre. Still, Thanksgiving is coming regardless of how unfamiliar everything may seem.

I was chatting with my neighbor the other day, explaining in Spanish that in the USA we have a special holiday set aside for thinking about what we are grateful for. It's important to understand that I spend an awful lot of time explaining American culture to Dominicans, and a lot of it doesn't make much sense to them. The idea of a place where everyone has their own car, electricity is abundant, and where it SNOWS is usually more than they can imagine. Life in Southern Wisconsin is so far removed from their experience of subsistence farming in the tropics, that I feel lucky any time I make some kind of connection. Thanksgiving, though, was something that made a lot of sense to my friend. He nodded his head, flashed me a gap-toothed grin, and said “Yes, it is very important to be thankful.”

He is a man who works sun up to sundown all year, planting, harvesting and doing other odd jobs to be able to feed his family. He works hard, so there is usually enough to eat, but not always. On most nights I sit outside with him, watching the sky light up with more stars than anyone could count. We talk about the weather, crops, and life in general. He is glad to have work. He is grateful that his wife and kids are healthy, in a country where public health is not the best. He's happy to live in his two room wooden house, knowing that there are others who are not so blessed. He is a man who recognizes that while he may not be rich, he still has so much to be thankful for. Life itself is a gift, and he understands this better than I do most of the time.

Here I am, thousands of miles from home, living in the jungle. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer is not easy. On some days I miss my family and friends so much that it hurts. Yet I love what I am doing, and I am thankful that my parents taught me to believe in the importance of serving others, and that they encouraged me to take a few years out of the rat race to do just that.

I am thankful that my Dominican neighbors, though they have never been far from home, understand that it must be hard for me. They go out of their way every day to let me know that I am a valued member of their community.

I am thankful that I come from a country that believes in the goodness of humanity enough to have a program like the Peace Corps, recruiting inexperienced young adults like me to be good will ambassadors to the poor and broken parts of the world.

In a world economy that is coming apart at the seams I am thankful that I have a bed to sleep in, and food to eat. I may not be rich, but I have enough for today, and that is a good thing. Life truly is a gift, and I know that my blessings are even greater in number than those stars that I watch come out in the vast sky every night. Even in a world as unpredictable as the one we live in, I hope you will join me in celebration this Thanksgiving. There really is much to be thankful for.

In which Tim eats turkey...

There is nothing quite like celebrating an American holiday in a very non-American environment.  Two years ago I was killing a turkey by hand on a roof in Bangladesh, in the midst of massive political instability that meant the secret police had taken over every street corner.  That was an interesting thanksgiving.  This time I went to a party that Peace Corps puts on every year.  They rent out a country club (with swimming pool) for the day, and arrange for a full turkey dinner.  I have not eaten so much since arriving in country.  Between the turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoe pie, green beans, broccoli, cranberry sauce, and various types of pie I was ready to pop.

I realize that most of you probably take little to no interest in that list of traditional holiday food, but it was an incredible treat for those of us who subsist mainly on rice, beans, and boiled bananas.  We were thankful for the food, but also having lived among the underprivileged for a while, my friends and I talked a lot about other things that we are thankful for.  We all agreed that none of us have had the opportunities we have based on our own merit or abilities.  We were each born into a certain family at a certain time under certain circumstances that has allowed us to have what we do.  We are all recipients of grace, and for that we are thankful.

There was also a talent show in the evening.  At the encouragement of my friends, I agreed  to perform a song I had written.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Tim Brown got up on stage in front of 200 people and sang a song.  It was a lot of fun.  Maybe I can add musical performance to my list of career goals.

Regarding the Presidential Election...

Last night at about one oclock in the morning I found myself sweating in the middle of a crowd of 50 Peace Corps Volunteers, watching a grainy image of Barack Obama on a TV screen. The picture was going in and out, but the audio was constant. What I heard quite literally brought tears to my eyes.

Many of you readers know my politics. Yes, I agree with most of the views that President Elect Obama holds on policy issues. The emotion I felt last night had absolutely nothing to do with health care reform, taxes, or even the war in Iraq. So bear with me...

In my life time four Presidents have lived in the White House, and I remember three of them. I have lived in States with governors, and cities with mayors. I have always been concious that my leaders were somewhere out there, and that they were supposed to be working to serve me. They would make speeches on televison or the radio that were written to tell me how good a job they were doing. To convince me of their goodness, and to pander for my vote. I've grown up in this system, and I guess I've gotten used to it. Never once have my leaders asked ME for service or sacrifice. They seem content with votes.

Barack Obama does not fit into this equation, and that's why he started sticking out to me when he popped onto the national stage in 2004. His message is that if we want to see a better nation and world, we need to work for it. His often repeated anthem "yes, we can" has little to do with empty wishful thinking, and much more to do with joining together in a collective effort to improve things. The slogan is not "Yes, OBAMA can," it's "Yes, WE (meaning all of us) can."

My generation is beginning to understand that we can't count on politicians to fix the world for us. We need to take action. That is why we hold candle light vigils for darfur, or join the Peace Corps. Yet still we hunger for leadership. We are looking for people with wisdom and vision to challenge us to shed our apathy and work harder. To help us find that path. I see this hunger every time that I talk to fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. They want to be challenged, and asked for more than a vote.

My friends and I wept last night because we finally see a leader who understands our desire. He knows why we have moved away from home to take part in an idealistic task that at times seems futile. He is asking us to roll up our sleeves and keep going. "Finally," we say, "a leader who seems to be worth following." This is much more important than "liberal" and "conservative."

I also wept at the thought of how far America has come. Had Barack Obama lived in the South fifty years ago, he would not have been allowed to vote, or ride in the front of a bus. Now he has been elected to the highest office in the land. Perhaps we have reached the day that Dr. King dreamed about, when individuals "would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." This is something that is worth celebrating.

Regarding more books...

Here are a few more literary selections for your consideration...

"A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving

One of the most fantastic works of fiction I have read in recent years.  It has wonderful characters, a fantastic plot, and will make you both laugh and cry.  It also tackles some interesting theological/philosophical questions.  I don't know why I had never read this before.  Please, get it and read it, now.

"A Secret History of the CIA" by Joseph Trento

A journalists account of the CIA's history from the end of the second World War, through the end of the cold war.  It is based on twenty years of research and interviews with a lot of the people who were on the inside.  It is saddening to see how much corruption there has been.  There is a very interesting section, though, that makes a strong case for the KGB's involvement with the Kennedy assassination.

"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara King-Solver

The fictional story of missionaries in the Congolese bush in the early 1960's.  Great writing, but more than a little depressing.

"Jesus for President" by Shane Claiborne

The author makes a convincing case that as followers of Jesus, our allegiance should be to something much higher than political parties or nation states.  He argues that if we are really doing what Jesus tells us to that we would be living much more controversial lives that are subversive to what our culture considers normal.  I wrestled with this book.  I would love it if some of you would read it, and then discuss it with me over email or something.

"Confessions of an Economic Hitman" by John Perkins

Eye opening.  John Perkins tells the story of how much of his career was spent as a "consultant" who wrote fraudulent economic reports in order to open doors for US aid to developing countries.  The goal of the conspiracy was to make these countries economically dependent on the US.  It is a very interesting read that spans decades of US foreign policy history.

Regarding meat on Sundays...

My neigbor doesn't go off to work every day.  He has a little piece of land, and does some carpentry for his friends, but mostly he just hangs out.  He does work pretty hard on Sunday mornings, though.  

On Saturday nights a large pig is delivered to his house.  At about 7 AM on Sunday I wake up to the sound of very loud squealing as said pig is in the process of having his or her throat cut.  The pig is then shaved, quartered, butchered, and sold to whoever wants some.  The meat is still warm when I start to cook it.

The killing of the pig is a real community event.  Everyone comes out to stand around and chit chat as we watch the guys do the cutting.  Someone usually brings coffee.  There is almost always a little kid who grabs the tail of the pig when it is cut off, and runs around whipping people in the ankles with it.  It is pretty funny.  The dogs also gather, probably because of the delicious smells.

Watching the butchering is not easy on the stomach.  I won't go into details, but I am sure you can imagine.  It has helped me to realize how sterilized a life we lead in the USA.  We go to the store, or the farmers market, and buy our meat wrapped in plastic, and cut into convenient slices.  We don't really have a picture (or smell) in our head of where it has come from.  It is just a thing that we buy, cook, and eat.  Maybe we should try a little bit harder to understand the things that we are putting into our bodies.

I don't think it is wrong to eat meat.  I have just come to believe that is important to understand the process.  The truth is that the pigs here live pretty happy lives.  They stay outdoors, roll in mud, and usually get to wander semi-freely.  And when they are killed, it is a pretty quick death without a lot of suffering.  And the meat has a really good flavor.  I'd love to show you the whole process when you come visit.

Regarding duct tape....

I have long been a big fan of duct tape. I use it for all sorts of stuff. If you have something that needs to be stuck in place, I will recommend duct tape almost every time. My enthusiasm is strong enough that my father pokes fun at me every year by leaving a roll in my Christmas stocking.

Here in the Peace Corps I am discovering hundreds of new uses for the stuff. Here are some examples.

• Duct tape can be used to put anything up on a cement block wall. Posters, maps, newspaper clippings, photos of family, and even mirrors.
• It can be combined with old mosquito netting to make a window covering. This keeps visitors (mosquitoes, fire flies, rats) from entering in the night.
  
• When combined with a piece of sterile gauze, duct tape makes a very durable bandaid to help alleviate the many cuts and scrapes that are a part of life here.
• I used a few pieces of wood and some duct tape to make a roller on which to hang my toilet paper next to the toilet.
• My head phones were starting to come apart, so I used small strips of duct tape to keep them together.  They should last a while now.
• I use it to block off holes in the wall that ants like to crawl in through.  There are a lot of holes, so there is starting to be an awful lot of duct tape put up.

I will let you know if I come up with more creative uses.