Bubble Life

Today I had one of those moments when I question what I’m doing here. At dinner we were having a conversation about one of our housemate’s friends who accused us of living in a bubble and not being a part of real life. Putting aside the fact that those are rather vague and clearly meant to agitate, I think the friend has a point. Initially, I applied for JVC because I didn’t know what else to do. However, in the end I made a very conscious decision to commit to JVC (more on that whole story another time). My reasons for this were: a profound interest in Ignatian spirituality, a deep desire to serve and learn about/from the poor, and a need to experience non-Minnesota life. These and most of the other reasons out there for doing JVC are admirable, but there is considerable subtext that isn’t often acknowledged. 

Impromptu Conversation

Today I learned that there is a right and wrong way to approach people. That sounds pretty straightforward and common sense, but it’s not. Backstory: I’m an introvert. If you haven’t read any of the numerous articles or books out recently about introverts, it basically means I get energy from having time by myself to recharge. I love being with people, but it takes a lot of energy for me to do that. Also, I like forming personal relationships with a few people instead of socializing in a large crowd. Having said this, I’ve always wanted to meet new people. I have a passion for ministry and part of that is getting to know people and their stories. The sad part is that I have a really hard time doing this. I really struggle with initializing contact with people. What are you supposed to do? Just walk up to someone, introduce yourself and ask about their life? 

What I learned today...

ACT. Easily on the list of things I never thought I would think about again. In my hometown, people rarely received a score lower than 28. My siblings have had contests to see who could beat the others on subsection scores. My brother prepped for the ACT by taking a day off of school and going through an entire prep book- the day before the exam. He got a near perfect score. It has never been a big deal. Just something on the checklist of things to do on your college application. In high school, I even argued against such aptitude tests- saying they weren’t a true measure of intelligence, just how well you were able to take tests (or memorize a book). I remember feeling concerned for people I knew who scored a 25- doubting their ability to get into a good school.