By JohnPaul
Greetings from Washington, DC! Or as I like to call it… Yuengling Country! That’s right. For those of you than know my taste in adult beverages… it is plentiful here. If I hadn’t been in orientation all day I would think that I am on vacation.
For those former colleges of mine from Cobb out there… if though thought our one day orientation was rough… try three weeks. Lol. It’s not that bad though. It is all very informative… stuff we need to know. But sitting in one place for a long period of time can be hard. Especially for me.
Today I got my list… that would be my list of possible posts… forgive me for not posting them here, I am not sure of protocol… so I would prefer not to post publically. If you would like to know the options, please email me.
The whole experience today has been pretty surreal. Am I really doing this? Most of the orientation class (around 60 people) is former military. Just about as many have overseas experience… and who am I? A theatre guy with an attitude. Many times today I had these “pinch me” moments. Am I really doing this? Is it real? Am I really on this bizarre vacation and at the end of the week will I be back at the Mable House? Don’t get me wrong… the Foreign Service is what I want. More than anything. I am just dumbfounded that I am here.
I’ve been making friends though. The other 12 OMS (office management specialist) are great. We come from all different back grounds… and you would all be proud. When we had to introduce ourselves, with our group of OMS, to our Career Development Offices I said: “May name is JohnPaul Schutz, I have worked the last seven years in arts management, I married a former peace-corp volunteer, and I am here because of a ‘what the hell moment’”. And what a moment it has turned out to be. No stone unturned, right? You never know unless you try. And as the days go by I am sure the feelings I have will subside.
It is amazing how powerful the entire experience is. First thing this morning we were sworn in. It was actually surprisingly emotional. I have never sworn an oath to my country more than the obligatory morning pledge in public school. But for some reason, taking the oath today, I felt empowered. It is a very different life that I am about to embark on. What got me even more is when an Ambassador addressed us this afternoon stating that we are all there for a reason… that we poses the skills that the country needs. That for each of us in the room there are countless people who want our seats… he went on to recognize the fact that when he joined the foreign service twenty-plus years ago that the world was a different place… yet in all that is going on in the world… we were willing to step up to the plate and serve.
For those of you that know me well… pats on the back are not exactly what I need… it’s nice… but they are not something that keeps me going… and furthermore… I was not expecting the amount of pride that I feel when presented with the fact that I am serving our country.
It’s a scary world out there… I know that. But, this is where I am supposed to be. It is a crazy feeling.
-JP
2 comments:
Congrats on the job, JP! It's awesome that this country can still inspire those who serve it. As a country we've had some dark times during the past 8 years, and our reputation in the world is hurting. But it is awesome that America still has the ability to inspire despite the challenges she faces.
Maybe I'm a bit of an idealist, but I like to think that that anyone who feels a connection to this land, when faced with the opportunity to serve this land in some capacity, no matter their political bent, would feel that same sense of empowerment.
The ideals of this country are sound, despite the actions of its leaders sometimes. I'm more than a bit jealous of this opportunity you have, and I hope it truly enriches your life and the life of your family. Good luck, and safe journeys to all of you.
Brandon
http://theramblingrogue.blogspot.com
Make sure you take pictures of you with the beer to send to Jeff. It's payback time....
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