Sylvia's Journal

T’s mom was the Planned Parenthood volunteer coordinator who hired and trained me, some 25 years ago as a counselor in Cambridge with the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. He is now a peace corps volunteer in Lesotho. He traveled 5 hours to come and see this friend of his mom.

He called me when he arrived in town and told me he was going to be a little late as he had to take advantage of being in the big city and stock up on things not easily available where he lives. I asked what that was: canned tuna fish! The things we take for granted.

We compared notes on working with the public sector, he in agriculture now – setting up a fisheries scheme at the local hospital, but child welfare in the future; me, for now, with child welfare. He is getting a good grounding in dynamics that some people never quite get, such as, ‘people don’t change just because you tell them to.’ It’s basic but will save you from major heartache and disillusion later.

He has decided he will continue in international development, in one direction or another. He is about nine months into a Peace Corps assignment and loves it. I told him that if I have two candidates who have equal credentials for a job, I’d hire the Peace Corps volunteer any time. I think it is a great preparation for the kind of career he is choosing for himself, or, for that matter, for life, anywhere.

Today an early morning massage at the iron hands of diminuative Patience and my lunch with T provided some distraction from an intense relationship with my computer. To break the monotony of hotel life, which revolves essentially around meals, I have decided to arrange a short sightseeing trip tomorrow to Thaba Bosiu, the ‘Hill of Destiny,’ where the founder of this country, Moshoeshoe, spent most of his adult life. From atop that hill, during a good part of the 1800s, he resisted countless attempts by neighboring tribes, including the Zulu, the Matabele, the Boers and the British, to subdue him. Having finished reading his biography I would like to see this historical place. I am told it is close by and worth a visit. The nice gentleman from Perfect Taxi, with the unpronounceable name, promised to call me back early morning with a quote and a plan.