Bye Bye Notes

This blog is coming to a close. Here are some final notes that I thought I should share with all my lovely readership.

Thanks to all my family and friends for reading and supporting me during my time here in Malawi. Also thanks to all you other people whom I don't know but have taken the time to read my posts, and comment on them. Through your heartfelt contributions I have had a better idea of which of my inner musings are 'cool', 'offensive' or (quote): 'bull****'. Lord knows I love all you random folks out there taking the time out of your busy schedules to herd my errant thoughts into such perspicuous categories; I'm sure your intentions are pure and that I'm the better for it (thanks blogosphere!). Oh well, perhaps I did I ask for it just by being pretentious enough to billboard my thoughts in the information highway (next time I'll just do an email ring). I'm new to this whole blog thing. Anyway, I apologize sincerely to the sensible mob of bloggers protecting the integrity of all Malawi related bloggings. As I seem to have unwittingly joined their ranks I apologize sincerely for any 'generalizing', 'offensive' or 'uninformed' statements about the Malawian people whom I have come to love dearly and am always endeavoring to understand better. I don't think I've done them wrong on these pages (I still say thing I'm mostly guilty of is just a great deal of navel-gazing, but hey, what are philosophy majors for?), but if I have, please forgive me oh vanguards of Blogdom.

A note about generalizing: I know there is such a thing as difference between individuals. I just know it. It's a thing that I know. It's a fairly self-evident truth. I got told the same story that you did when you were four about how 'people are like snowflakes, no one is the same' and you know what? I still believe it. I know God didn't create us as androids (though being an android would be totally cool). But there's also something called 'culture' and it's kind of hard to ignore especially when you're trying to explain to someone for the hundredth time what a therapist is and why a perfectly successful and by all accounts 'normal' person would ever need one. I know there are depressed Malawians, neurotic Malawians, suicidal Malawians, etc. but after 6 months of meeting a lot of folks around here I really do believe that there just aren't as dang many of them (per capita) and that maybe, just maybe it ain't a coincidence. I'm not trying to dehumanize Malawians. I'm just trying to extract some spiritual medicine for all of us who sometimes catch ourselves feeling unfulfilled and lost in our American "cult of the individual". I know Malawians aren't God's chosen people that they have their own problems but I also think we can learn a thing or two about life from their culture so please, if you want to read and comment just try to roll with that big picture in mind. Thanks y'all.

(end rant)

Anyway I'll do another post from Lilongwe for sure. I've been so encouraged by all of you who have read and commented on my posts and even those of you who have taken the time to email me in response. I have felt as if you all have been here with me and I hope your interest in my experiences will translate into interest in Malawi and Africa as a whole. Malawi has been good to me, a home full of welcoming people whom I will miss most of all. I haven't said goodbye just yet, but it's just around the corner.

Thanks guys. I can't wait to see you all again.