Journal #10: Perception

     I have been reading Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea for my Anthropology of Development class lately. We had to read the first 8 chapters by Friday and with the busy schedules of college life there is no way I could get that done the day before or day of. There is simply not enough time. Thus, I decided to read a chapter every time i went to the gym and would just do the elliptical for an hour or so and kill two birds with one stone. After our class discussion about field notes and remembering things that were associated with action and such I started pondering the significance of reading this book while working working out. What did the elliptical do for the impact these 8 chapters had on my perception of this book... The beginning of the book details his attempt to climb to the top of K2 in Pakistan. As I was reading I was weary from the workout, legs burning as the resistance rose up and up on hill climb mode, trying to read and understand the material for my class, yet engrossed in his story. The experience he was describing meant so much more to me as I worked out rather than just reading the book while sitting down or laying in my bed because I could feel the burn in my thighs and the sweat on my skin. I could identify in the slightest measure with his pain. This has made the reading of this book such a different experience and I have read it from a completely different perspective than had I just simply read it. This got me thinking... what perceptions will I be seeing things through while I am in Ghana?
     The prep course's whole goal is to get us to live and learn cross culturally in the best context that we can and to be able to leave our own prejudices and bias behind. I want so badly to be able to experience Ghana as the Ghanaians do but that is unrealistic because my background and who I am as a person cannot be forgotten while I am there. What I can do is wake up everyday with an attitude that leans towards positivity, experiencing the day at its fullest, and with the perception that this day is going to be the best so far. If I try hard to perceive each day as the best day. I know that it will. There will be days when I am tired and frustrated and do not want to continue on because I miss America (not to be confused with Miss America 2012) BUT I know that is all about how I perceive that day and that experience that will ultimately make a difference in my study. If I had not read that book while "climbing" on the elliptical, I would not have felt for his struggles in the way that I did which helped me to understand his story and his project better in the way that it was presented. We haven't made it to the actual project so all I know so far is his story and his idea. This is not a critique of his book or project no no.
     Elder Busche in a devotional given at BYU in 1996 says to, "Embrace each day with an enthusiastic welcome. No matter how it looks." This is the perception that I will try to have everyday as that will make all the difference in my cultural experiences as well as in my study.