Wow. So it has been roughly three months since an update. On one hand, I feel like there’s not much to report. On the other, it has been three months, so of course there are things to report. I’ll start with something I wrote while still in the DR which has been sitting here in purgatory the last several months, and then we’ll go from there:
Uno
Infinite significance. If you have read Man’s Search for Meaning (or taken Dr. Mcdonald’s USEM class), you may be familiar with this idea. In the book, author and Holocaust-survivor Viktor Frankl discusses the priceless value of life, an intrinsic characteristic of all persons. Any situation, no matter how hopeless, unjust, or cruel, cannot take away from that meaning.
This is my last in-country blog post (I had great plans to get this done before I left the DR, sorry…). It’s very weird saying that. I realize six or seven months is not a very long period of time in the grand scheme of things. I know I will look back on what once seemed ultra-intimidating as a growing time in my life. Those of you from older generations had yours too.
One of the biggest things that continues to come up for me is this idea of infinite significance. If I have chatted with you about economic development, it’s likely that I have thrown this phrase out there. It truly encompasses everything that I believe about our world. Just think: how beautiful would this world be if everyone was treated as though they were more important, more vital, more significant than anything we can even dream of? This means the drug addict slowly killing themselves on your city streets. This means the politician who has abused their place of power. This means the AIDS orphan who might get one meal a day, if they are lucky. This means the Haitian immigrant living in a Dominican batey.
When you work or volunteer for, donate to, or support an organization working in economic development, social justice, disaster relief, or other similar fields, I encourage you to challenge them to consider the infinite significance of those they serve.
Due
Just to stay true to keeping what had already been written the same, that ends what I wrote back in the last few days of March. I’m still trying to process the entire experience, and it definitely took me a while to get used to life back in the States. As I move forward, I’m still trying to figure out how to apply those experiences to whatever I do next. I can’t even put into words what exactly it is that I learned or how I grew as a person. An experience like that just changes you. I will continue trying to treat everyone as though they are infinitely significant, and try to give back to those whose value has been stripped away. Hopefully I can continue doing that in the context of microfinance. Based on my experience, it is a fantastic tool that continues to have great potential as a huge piece of the development puzzle.
But it is great being back in Seattle among longtime friends. I missed them dearly. And I suppose I did miss the cool weather and rain a bit. Although Juan Dolio beach on the south coast of the DR sounds better than ever at this point…
Trei
Ages ago, back in April, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit my sister Maren and brother-in-law Jeremy over in Oxford, England. Jeremy is studying there, and after getting married in December of last year, Maren moved over the icy-cold North Atlantic to Brit-i-fy herself. I spent four days in Oxford and one in London, had a few English pints (i.e. warm and flat), some meat pies and drank cream tea in a palace garden. It was a great history lesson, tour of the English countryside, and opportunity to spend some quality time with my sister and new bro. London was jam-packed and we didn’t get to spend much time anywhere, but I’ll be back there someday so I’m not too worried about it. I didn’t know if I’d ever be back in Oxford, though, so I was sure to take some time touring the town and many of the colleges that make up Oxford University.
Quattro
Life right now consists of two things, more or less: Pike Place Market and the dreaded job hunt.
I’ve been working at Pike Place in downtown Seattle for almost two months now. One of my dearest friends and former roommate, Josh, has been there for a couple years and I was able to work out a job through him while still in the DR. I’m selling the best jam in the world, and working in the market is quite the experience. I get to meet people from all over the world, flirt with old ladies, and every once in a while I get to speak in Spanish. It has been a blessing to have a job right off the bat, even if it isn’t full time and doesn’t (fully) pay the bills.
On my free days I spend at least a few hours on the job search, submitting resumes and the like. It has been a frustrating experience so far as I have not received a whole lot of feedback. I’ve looked at microfinance, economic development, specialty schools, youth homes, shelters, and food banks, among others. I just plan to keep plugging away, and hopefully something great will come along soon!
Cinque
I’m sure I’m forgetting plenty that has happened in the last few months, but I don’t want to turn this entry into a complete auto-biography. So I leave you with some exciting news:
I now have two wonderful nephews to go along with my wonderful niece. Big D is officially on the move to adoption and has a brand-new nombre to go along with it. Love you Cannon family!
Wyatt Clarence Justice – due the second week of August
Isaac Aveli – recently adopted after over a year of foster care
Madeleine Elizabeth – at a whopping four years of age, the old one of the bunch
Sei
Since I am no longer in the DR, if you would like to continue reading whatever it is I feel like writing about, check out my new blog.














































































