Studying abroad is far from easy…and I’ve only just begun the process. Now that my application to the Marquette program has been “provisionally accepted,” I have to wade through a bureaucratic swamp of paperwork and additional applications. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy (if not a little stressed) to do it. Each form filled out or fee paid means I’m that much closer to Cape Town.
This week, I applied for a passport at the Hoover post office. Before going inside, I braced myself for the legendary less than cheery service. The clerk who helped me was very rude at first, speaking to me like I was a complete waste of her time. It took some restraint to keep from reflecting the bad attitude right back at her, but I had no idea what this woman had dealt with that morning, what was going on in her life, or the true reason behind her apparent anger toward the world. She’s only human, and no human is nice all the time. I was determined to be polite to her, regardless of her shortness with me. Our interaction was only fifteen minutes or so, and resulted in a horrific passport photo of me, but by the end of it that clerk was smiling, and I left with a great sense of relief.
The start of this blog may seem a little premature, but I’ve realized that my study of Ubuntu begins now, not when my feet hit the ground in South Africa. Recognizing the humanity in every person I meet throughout this frustrating process has become extremely important.
There’s a bumper sticker that’s been sitting on my Mom’s kitchen counter for years that sums it up: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is in the midst of a great struggle.”
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