Former video intern Alex has been volunteering in Mexico for the last few months. Here's the update:
I have not blogged here before and with good reason. When I was interning at brass this last summer I was in the video unit. (You can see what we have been concocting if you head over here. ) After my internship ended in September, I moved to Mexico for seven months, where I am currently serving on a volunteer basis at a youth orphanage. Sarah Higginbotham (or Higgles, in brass-speak) asked me to blog about my time here and how it relates to you all back in the States. In a few words, here goes:
- You have it good. People in Mexico work harder, longer, and in more difficult conditions for less. Families can have three or even four income streams and still be short of rent money.
- Education is smart. Here, as back home, those with an education make more money and have less physically demanding professions. Working less for more is a good career path.
- Smart money actions are smart everywhere. Saving your money, an excellent idea in the U.S., is even more important down here. If the principal employed member of a house falls ill, having savings to fall back onto means staying in your house. Without it, down here you might be in very serious trouble.
- There are things that you can do. If you want to help poor people, you do not have to move very far. You can volunteer in the U.S. for organizations that work in third-world countries. You can spread awareness about problems such as the genocide in Darfur or hunger in Mexico. If you don't have time for that, you can always just send a check.
That's all for now, if you have any questions about my time in Mexico, interning at brass or volunteering in general, leave a comment and brass will forward it my way. Have a good one.
- Alex
Addendum to Alex's letter: I've included two photos. The first one is Alex's desk during his time here at brass and the second one is his desk down in Mexico.
As you can see, new experiences can change you forever, but some things stay the same. (Note the intern's natural habitat remains static no matter where he roams, with the ever-present bottle of soda, empty cans, noise-canceling headphones, a device linking him to the digital world, and bags of invariably unhealthy food.) We miss you Alex! Thanks for update!
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