“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
A couple years ago, I dreamed of leaving the mountains that towered over me. Coming to Raleigh, I find that buildings and skyscrapers have replaced those mountains. This trip was an opportunity for me to see more of the world.
Ironically, this trip has made me the most homesick since leaving. I grew up in the Appalachian and western most part of North Carolina; a historically poor region. In some ways, it’s a stereotypical Southern rural town. I think what it lacks in wealth, it makes up in character but this quality doesn’t translate well to outsiders. I know many people were bewildered after telling a few stories about my area. It’s disheartening. Some can’t see past its character to recognize the struggles there. Many times it ends up with others looking down on people and a community like mine that needs help.
Besides serving, my main goal was to learn the differences in lifestyles of the poor on opposite sides of the country. Looking back, I think I’ve learned more about the differences between the two communities and less about East vs West Coast as I had originally planned. Both face a lot of similar problems that are financially related (drugs, lack of education, and etc…), but both have their own unique challenges. Atascadero is more developed and urbanized, and thus doesn’t face infrastructure problems like the Appalachia does. Since I had only been in Atascadero for less than a week, I don’t know of the nuances there.
I’ve reflected most on the day I canvassed a suburban community with Jon. We were going house to house and raising awareness for GRID Alternatives (the organization that we worked with throughout the week). The community’s architecture was Hispanic with the ceramic shingles. The houses were moderately big. To me, they were fairly nice houses and a household that didn’t struggle financially. We’d pass an occasional Mercedes or Lexus, and that would reaffirm my suspicions. I’d chuckle to myself that these people probably had more money than me yet I was putting the “low income” flyers on their door.
Walking back with Jon, we were discussing our expectation and sentiments about the experience. It was then that I realized that I’ve never really been in a suburban community. Since Jon grew up in the Triangle area, I asked him what the suburbs was like. He unusually seemed at a loss of words. It was as challenging as describing the taste of water. Later on in the week, Kaly, a GRID worker was talking about the people GRID helps serve. She was talking about how over ten people can be crammed in these houses and their electric bill savings can help put their children in college. It made me reassess my judgements. Jon’s loss of words seem to stem from how indistinguishable the suburbs are. When you walk past a house with multiple cars, you can’t tell if the homeowner is a car enthusiast, sharing with his or her big family, or just having a party. So much can happen in those indistinguishable houses that few only know.
In my community, there are a few who lack indoor plumbing. It’s really easy to point to a person in an old house with no running water as a candidate to serve. It’s difficult to find the person who isn’t a poster child for poverty. They might not be struggling with plumbing but they could be going to bed hungry to pay other things. Even if they’re not lacking basic necessities, a struggle is a struggle regardless of what else exists. I think it’s important to help anyone and not just the obvious problem areas.
Despite my initial reactions, I’m glad and proud of my team for what we did over spring break. I’ve grown an appreciation for GRID Alternatives for helping people that could be easily overlooked. I wouldn’t have reflected where I am from and where I am headed to without this trip and everyone involved. This has been my favorite experience at NC State and will be one of my favorites in the future.