Harrison Burt
Blogs Editor
I had absolutely no interest in doing YG at the beginning of my junior year. I had spoken to dozens of YG “fish” who claimed their February mission trip with the Congregationalist Church of NC to be the most rewarding and life-changing ten days of their lives…but I was still not intrigued. Why would I want to give up ten days of tanning in the Bahamas to refurnish Hurricane Katrina destroyed homes? Please, someone tell me.
To be honest, I did it for college. Sorry, but in the spirit of the Ten Commandments, I feel the need to be honest. I ended up signing up for five months of weekly “love” and “community participation,” praying (LOL) that’d I’d get into my first choice school. With crossed arms, I eventually stepped onto a plane to Biloxi, Mississippi last February, dreading what lay ahead.
The first thing that you should know about YG is that everyone participating is absolutely, wildly obsessed with it. I had never heard so many songs sung, guitars played or puns told in the previous 17 years of my life…oh my god. Literally.
However, my experience in Mississippi soon became one that wasn’t as awful as I expected it to be. In fact, I was actually starting to enjoy my mission trip. Each team was assigned a different house to rebuild throughout the city of Biloxi, and the work accomplished each day left me with a surprisingly overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Granted, I didn’t LOVE getting white paint all over my new green and navy JCrew woolsey flannel, but that’s beside the point.
YG’s nightly vespers presented a safe place where you and each team member could share stories about your day and personal feelings. Not feelings as in “Beyonce’s baby bump is BEYOND plastic,” even though that’s true, but emotions about the struggles and adversity that we as high school students endure each day. This team bonding allowed me to break out of my comfort zone and really get to know new and interesting people.
I left Biloxi ten days later smelling completely nauseating, being mistaken for a homeless man at the airport, and no sir, I did not want your spare change. However, I had encountered a way of living that was unfamiliar to me before the experience. The mission trip showed me the true meaning of struggle, both in the labor we did, and how pale I looked, which forced me to reconsider my philosophy of life. YG gave me a new perspective on the world, and 700 tagged photos as a bonus! I will be leaving for my second trip tomorrow night.
Now, I am in no way saying that YG is meant for everyone. However, I do think that it is important to expand our comfort levels and go out on a limb every once in a while. Whether it be Emmaus, Young Life, chess club, theatre, paddle club, outdoor track or many more, turn off “Kourtney and Kim take Miami,” and get going.
Would it kill you to meet some new people, or God forbid, try something unusual? I don’t think so. And lets say you don’t like what you’re doing, try again. The opportunities to experience new ways of living and interact with people outside of your close friend group are limitless. If I was willing to ruin my Harvard crew sweatshirt by making a positive difference for both others and myself, I think that you’ll be fine signing up for a new club.
The choice is yours.
