Some thoughts....

Today I move onto Chapter 4, as I sent off Chapter 3 to be looked at before submitting to the Chair. Chapter 4 will be about the AmeriCorps members, how they view the program politically, etc. So, this morning, on my drive down to BG I was thinking about the folks that I interviewed for the chapter, and more specifically, about those that I am friends with, and how neat and special they are.

Then I started thinking about other relationships, and how adversity really does tend to bring people together more than shared positive experiences, and how strange that really is.

I have a feeling that I'm not the only one who thinks this way, either, because I believe that a lot of friendships are originally based in a common goal revolving around an issue or problem that needs to be solved. With the VISTAs, for example, the adversity could be the type of work that we were doing and the amount of money that we made. It wasn't a horrible experience, but it was one that only my other Corpsmembers or other AmeriCorps members could understand, you meet someone who served and you already feel that you have a sense of who they are, like they are already an acquaintance.

With other friends, it could have been a common enemy or uncomfortable situation that we overcame together, or even having the belief that social inequality exists in the world and that our government and social systems in place are not doing enough to eradicate it, or just trying to write a damn thesis.

I think that the best example of this would be members who served in a war together or experienced something horrible, like the Holocaust. Only those who shared that experience with you would ever completely be able to understand, and there is something very valuable in relationships like that.

*Sigh* I have procrastinated enough. It's time to get moving!