Introduction: Come And Go With Me

Hymn 1018 in Singing the Journey, supplement to Singing the Living Tradition, 

the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook:

     Come and go with me to that land,

     Come and go with me to that land,

     Come and go with me to that land where I'm bound.

     ...

     There'll be freedom in that land...

     There'll be justice in that land...

     There'll be singing in that land... where I'm bound.

*****

In April, 2012 I was awarded the Bonderman Fellowship from the University of Washington. The terms are simple though extraordinary: fellows must embark on a minimum of 8 months of solo travel to at least 6 countries in 2 regions of the world and are not allowed to work, study, or conduct research during that time. The next question I usually get at this point in the explanation is something to the effect of, "What do you have to produce?" The answer is simple: a Thank You card to David Bonderman for providing me with the opportunity. This is often met with a look or phrase to communicate, 'Wow... I don't get it...,' sometimes with a look of bewilderment, or joy, or disgust. Even when I first read about the fellowship on UW's Graduate School website in 2010 after being admitted to the Master of Social Work program, I could hardly make sense of it myself. So, maybe I will let the people who gave me the fellowship explain this crazy thing:

"Bonderman Fellowships enable students to undertake independent international travel to explore, be open to the unexpected, and come to know the world in new ways. Fellows may not participate in a program or organization, engage in formal study at a foreign university, conduct research or other academic projects, or travel with an organized group  Bonderman Fellowships are intended to introduce students to cultures, peoples, and areas of the world with which they are not familiar."

Let me say that I am highly aware of the privilege that this affords me. "Oh, me? Someone gave me a lot of money to see the world and do nothing for a year." But, let's be honest, I am a very privileged person already. I have (or had, until recently) a great job that paid well, money in the bank, a well running car, and a roof over my head provided for me, as are many things in my life, by members of my family and community. I have lived in many wonderful places and have been able to travel domestically and abroad. I have a master's degree and a number of other certificates which make me one of the most over-educated people I know. I live a blessed life full of gifts and I am grateful for it every day.

But there are other markers of privilege that I carry. I am white, male, a native citizen of the United States, from a middle income family, have an able body and good health at this time, and had access to good schools with teachers who encouraged me. I fit a rather prime demographic to find and benefit from many resources in the wealthiest nation on earth. I see people that I identify with in movies, television, business meetings, political campaigns, institutions of higher education, and just about any other place where power and money are most fastidiously kept. Over the years, through education and self-reflection, I began to see more clearly how this beautiful life I live, filled with adventure and opportunity, is made more easily available for reasons that I did not earn. If privilege in our society is a genetic lottery, I am winning. But then, what does that mean for everyone else? And, if this is not the meritocracy I was told that it was, how should I feel about systems that unjustly benefit me at the expense of others? A cornerstone of the profession of social work is to bend the arc of society toward justice - social justice. So, what does that mean for a person in a position of privilege? One who received $20,000 to 'see the world.'

I spent a great deal of time pondering this before I began writing my application. The administrators of the fellowship highlight their interest in having three basic questions answered: Why you? Why now? Why these places? To be honest, my first reaction when reading about the fellowship was simply, I must get this! The thought of travelling so wide and far with financial assistance was an easy thrill to daydream about. But as I began to consider how I would answer these questions to the fellowship committee I began to wonder what intentions I might set for such an endeavor. It is in my nature to want more than just a full belly of new-to-me foods and a killer tan. In searching for a place to being I turned to the principles of my profession, my faith, and my conscience and wrote the following in my application:

"In endeavoring to explicate my interest in becoming a Bonderman Fellow, one phrase has repeatedly risen to the surface: to decolonize my worldview. Colonialism has shaped societies, obscured histories, marginalized people, and claimed lives throughout the world and is perpetuated through both the exploitation and “aide” of disadvantaged peoples. As a “middle-income,” white male from the United States, I am an image of privilege, a beneficiary of the oppression of others, and framed in a reflection of colonization. To be both effective and principled in working toward global well-being it is imperative that I stand witness to the impacts of human subjugation and challenge my intentions and assumptions in joining the struggle so as not to reenact injustice.

As an act of witness, I envision this fellowship as an opportunity to be immersed in communities of capable people, not the locations of social problems. It is a chance to step outside the paradigm of “helping” and see people through the lens of their strengths and abilities as individuals seeking security, fulfillment, joy, and meaning in their lives as we all do. Growing a deeper appreciation for the power of human resiliency, the resistance to oppression, and the celebration of freedom is a faithful act toward promoting the worth and dignity of every person, a step toward my own decolonization, and my reason for seeking the Bonderman Fellowship."

Evidently, this sat well with the fellowship committee and my interview panel. So... what now? Well, the thing about intentions is that they are not prescribed plans. From here starts a journey of living, experiencing, learning, making mistakes, being challenged, reflecting, and growing. The goal isn't to be perfect - a futile effort that would be. The real goal is to simply build better relationships with other people, the world around me, ideas and philosophies, and myself. As I wrote in my application, "I don’t want to simply be in service in this world, I want to feel connected to it and in doing so find connection to myself." Perhaps that doesn't scratch your itch to know how I answered the other big question, Why these places? To be a bit more specific, maybe I'll share the description I wrote for the fellowship's website: 

"Michael Light, Master of Social Work / Area of study: Social Work with a certificate in Global Health / Hometown: Bellingham, Washington

Light’s journey will honor national days of independence and remembrance in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Brazil, India, South Africa and Rwanda, which share a history of colonialism that has oppressed people and claimed lives. His goal along the way is to develop a deeper appreciation for the power of human resiliency in resisting oppression so that he can become a more effective and principled actor in his work toward global health and justice."

Now that you have a rough idea of how I am crafting my journey, let me be clear about what this blog is NOT. It is not going to be a recitation of the histories of each country with analyses of the implications for social injustice or potential for change. It is not going to be an anthology of thought from profound thinkers on the meaning of equality or the practice of advocacy. It will not be a detailed tour of the critical landmarks that have contributed to current socioeconomic or political paradigms. While I might study these topics, read such ideas, and visit these places, to write such a blog would be more of an academic exercise that I care to write and (likely) you would care to read. I want to record my experience but not so that it takes my mind, my body, my spirit away from being in the journey.

Thus, this blog will likely read more like a travelogue of events, sites, foods, people, happenings. It will have links and notations for you to follow up in more detail as you desire. It will have photos and videos to help those of you sited visitors see this trip through my lens. And, occasionally it will have my musings, or an except from my internal dialogue, or ranting of my woes and frustrations, or perhaps even a poignant message to share. Like the fellowship administrators who expect me to produce no more than a Thank You card, I too am attempting to release expectation that this space be anything other than whatever it evolves to be. This blog is a chance to follow a fellow who is trying to soak up as much life as he can while struggling to live with integrity. Come and go with me - with freedom, justice, and singing in your heart.

One final note before we begin... my most heartfelt Thanks to the lovely people who have supported me through the many stages of my edification - those friends and family, members of my tribe, who give me a whole world's worth of love every day. Thanks for getting me this far and encouraging me to take leaps in life even when they take me away from you for a spell. I'll be home soon.