BaCk In MY DaY!

Last week, I saw a 6 year old child buy cigarettes for what i hope was his mom and/or dad.  I started to think about the history of the U.S. At least 50 years ago, if not 40, our parents were buying cigarettes and alcohol for their parents. Children also roamed their neighborhoods with the understanding that at lunchtime (if it was a weekend) and at dinner time they would be back in time to sit down at the table and eat with the family. There did not seem to be this consistent fear of child abduction and people in neighborhoods watched out for one another. It was a different time where people trusted each other.
When I was growing up, (in the mid 80's to late 90's) my mom knew where I was every second of every day. The rule of thumb was that if I couldn't see my house I had gone too far. My mom yelled and I was to either come to the house or answer. It was the start of the end of what I call the trusting age.  STRANGER DANGER was what the majority of my peers grew up with. See a stranger and STAY AWAY. I was always taught if someone pulled up asking for directions in a car, I could walk or run away and not feel guilty about it.  This was probably attributed to   Sara Ann Wood's disappearance 100 feet away from her house in 1993, in upstate NY of all places. This brings me to Mongolia.
In Mongolia, it's like the 1950's again. Kid's buying cigarettes, running to the store alone, running around aimlessly with their friends after dark. Older kids watch out for their younger siblings and there is an overall feeling of social responsibility where people look after others children. For this blog, I attempted to find statistics on kidnappings in Mongolia, but found none pertaining to kid's.  In fact, the only information I found on kidnapping pertained to an American visiting. When they gave the kidnappers money, they were let go.  See attached link: kidnapped in Mongolia.I  know that there is in fact human trafficking that does occur, but most Mongolian's that are trafficked are coerced or tricked into it. See  human trafficking for more information.
My inability to find empirical statistics on the kidnapping of children does not necessarily mean that it doesn't happen. It could very well still occur, but as a country Mongolia remains naive to these horrors. I hope this naivety persists forever.  That children continue to roam the streets free of worry, and that parents continue to trust that their communities will offer support and safety for their children.

ReSoLuTIoNS

Shine onii mend!

Ah the New Year, followed by the inevitable resolutions that most of us will keep for a stint and as the year progresses will fade away into the abyss of broken dreams and lost aspirations. Looking through facebook, I have already seen posts of weight loss resolutions and various articles emphasizing the best path to happiness, being a better person, achieving success, loosing weight, cutting unneeded stress out of your life and of course finding that perfect life-altering relationship. There were two articles that seemed to actually resonate with me. One discussed how healthy strong people lived their lives:cutting out the unneeded drama in their lives..understanding that they cannot change others (if they want to be miserable it's their choice), etc...and the other one discussed in great lengths how in this life people are measured by what they attribute to society.  Contribute nothing to society and still criticizing others for the hard work and success they have achieved over the year is such horrid hypocrisy and can be observed daily. I am not saying you have to like everyone's creative choices, just appreciate that they tried and have put themselves out there. There are people who will appreciate what they have created, or succeeded in and people who simply will not understand their decisions. I also came across these gems.  

 

     

 So here it is, the New Years resolutions, the proverbial slaps in your face with every click of the mouse that indicates it is a "NEW YEAR", and it's time to buck up and be a better, healthier more well balanced person. Just in case you slept through midnight and didn't know it is in fact now 2014!

Regardless of how cynical I may sound, I think I can sum up the idea of why we all make resolutions in a fairly positive short list to add to the many that are already out in cyber space.

5 Reasons to have New Years Resolutions

1.) It's a New Year, it's as if the clock reset itself and last years transgressions never existed. 

2.) It's fun! It's fun making a list of resolutions to hang vicariously above your work desk, bed, on your mirror etc. Being able to glance at them from time to time may actually make you feel guilty enough to follow through!

 3.) It's even more fun checking off your New Years Resolutions when you complete them. Tried to make that Mongolian dish and failed? Check it off, at least you tried and it's "uhhh somewhat edible".

4.) It's a great reminder. It reminds you of all last years resolutions you may have forgotten. Remember that 1 (or those 9) resolution(s) you didn't achieve last year? Well this could be YOUR year!

5.) It gives you time to reflect on if your a good person or not. If your not, or on the edge...how can you change?

Of course this New Years Resolutions post would not be complete without compiling a list of my own resolutions. Perhaps if I blog away I might accomplish one of the things I have on it!

1.) Eat more salad. Totally doable in my aimag and I should seriously be eating more greens.

2.) Accomplish one training every month at school. Even if I have to repeat!

3.) Travel. Go work with some of my PC volunteers in their aimags and soums! 

4.) Budget. (this has been on my list for about 4 years now.)

5.) Read more. At least a book a month.

6.) Exercise at least once a day for a half hour...with a cheat day on Sundays. 

7.) Learn 7 Mongolian words a day and start studying. 

8.) Don't burn down my Ger (this will also be on my list next year.)

9.) Serenity (this is always on my list)

and 

10.) Be a better person (this is also always on my list because you can always improve).

Whatever you decide for the new year, whether or not to make a resolution, I guess the important thing is to remember that in a year, a lot (I stress A LOT) can change. For that matter, you can change for better or for worse! In the PC, people have indicated that when they return home it's as if nothing has changed. The people are the same, the environment is the same etc. I respectfully disagree. I feel that people progress, events alter lives and shitty things can happen to great people and great things can happen to shitty people. Every year we make choices that shape our future, and at least for me, I have a brand new year ahead of me in Mongolia where I can gain experience, learn from past mistakes, and figure out what I want out of my own life.