When The Masks Come Off
On Sunday we began our first job at a Hurricane-stricken house a few blocks from The Little Moon Volunteer House where we have stayed all week. I remember walking up to Matt and Ashley, who were in the garage at the time trying to ask the director of Project 195 what exactly we needed to do at the house; the others were working in the floorless house to remove cabinets while balancing on elevated beams above the dirt foundation. I said, "Hey guys, sooooo we are going to need facemasks…we can't breathe and there is definitely black mold everywhere."
Everything was so new to all of us. We didn't know what we were doing and didn't have much leadership from Project 195 at the time. Matt and Ashley clearly were not expecting to have to buy facemasks (I mean, who has ever done that before? None of us.), but nonetheless Ashley went out and bought them. We could finally breathe and work at the same time. First obstacle = surpassed. We finished up the site and can I just say music makes any work seem less like work, especially when you are with people you are still getting to know; yet you trust incessantly.
Looking back now from then to our last night here in Little Ferry, the change in all of us is definitely noticeable. For example, black mold doesn't scare us anymore, nor does lead paint or asbestos (the latter of which we don't really know if we came into contact with or not but we will just say we actually did so we seem more legit, experienced and dangerous). We came together as a team and honestly we shocked each other along the way. I cannot even bring to words what our group is like. We are ALL different and unique, but together we envelope every quality know to mankind. We are truly the dream team. It has been said over and over again this entire trip: "I can't believe how well we all mesh. We work together in the best ways possible and we have the best balancing act we have ever seen in a group." That is honestly all I can say about us as a group because it is indescribable. We are indestructible together. We have built strong friendships here through hard work, sweat, laughter, serious conversations, games, food, new experiences, new people, new lifestyles, shared life lessons, and endless amounts of FOMO.
Many of us, if not all, have FOMO and have experienced it throughout the entire week and have worked hard NOT to experience it. FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out; the slogan of our week. We all want to hang out, talk, and get to know everyone because otherwise we are not living in the moment, we aren't participating, we aren't living without regrets and who wants to go on a trip like this and have regrets? Not us.
This week we learned more in a week than we learn in two months back at school. The truth is…we learned about LIFE. We didn't learn anything from a textbook that we memorized and soon forgot all too quickly.
Fun facts: People in Jersey are not as nice as in the Midwest, at least not in general. There are people who went out of their way to explain this to us, and to thank us for bringing a bit of the Midwest to the East. Therefore, we vowed to each other to never lose our Midwestern touch. Also, Jersey is one of two states where it is illegal to pump your own gas (Oregon is the other); that is an experience only one or two of us have had in the past. Most of us agree, we like the freedom of pumping our own gas. Pizzas are called pies. Neighbors don't generally talk to each other. Drivers disregard the speed limits, and so do the police. Most importantly, when people give you a compliment it means ten times more than in the Midwest…because here they are hard to come by. My favorite lesson/fun fact is the fact that there are people out there who are so genuine and beautiful inside that you can't help but feeling warm inside.
This week we have met some of the most inspiring people: John, our "inn keeper" is from Croatia, has traveled the world, works for a cable tv network part time, has a bar back home, has volunteered with countless organization, and has some of the most heartwarming personalities I know. Dave was a firefighter during 9/11 and is the creator and director of Project 195, which is the primary organization we are working with here. Jim owns a mold removal company and is extremely intimidating and knows how to make people get to work…yet is compassionate and has a huge heart. The people we worked with, however, are not the only people we have been impacted by.
One afternoon Jim told us to go to a specific authentic Italian restaurant to eat for lunch. We get there and he says he has taken care of everything. We are seated, clearly underdressed sporting dirty faces, dirty jeans and ASB shirts. The waitress immediately comes over with salad and pies (pizza) for all of us. She then tells us how thankful she is for us being here to help everyone. She shares her story and the horror her family went through to keep their restaurant running, which included her father taking out his entire retirement funds. She then left because she was on the verge of tears, which Jim later told us were shed behind the counter. At the same restaurant a few women came up to us and handed us money for our trip, saying how glad and thankful they were for us having been here. This single encounter honestly made everything worth it in my books.
We have a reflection every night where we all gather in the girls' bedroom, which consists of six bunked beds, and we all snuggle close and talk about the day and how it has impacted us. This has been one of my favorite times everyday because it's when we get to delve into what REALLY happened, and what is all really means. Tonight we talked about what service means and if we need thanks or appreciation from others in order to feel accomplished. In my opinion, we don't NEED the recognition, but I think if we all went through life without getting ANY recognition we would feel alone in the world. However, this week we have received more recognition than I ever expected; especially on the East coast. Therefore, I feel entirely accomplished and I can tell that the community really needs us and other volunteers like us.
"Life will drag you down." John told us this last night during our reflection. Then he said, "I see a light in you all, don't lose that. Remember this feeling when life catches up to you." Hurricane Sandy brought people down. The fact that we were able to come into peoples' lives and bring them back up a bit is a beautiful thing.
We told everyone we are from the University of Missouri when they asked. They all know where come from, and I can't tell you how proud I am to represent Mizzou in this fashion. We have so many wonderful opportunities at our University, and this is one of the best options available. I recall Chancellor Brady Deaton telling us in January about all of the philanthropic efforts he has pursued in his life and how much it has meant to him. I get it now. I mean, I thought I understood back then because of my animal shelter service and other philanthropies I have organized, but I honestly DIDN'T have any idea until now. We got dirty and molding this week. We served others; we served the human race. We don't need facemasks anymore. The shields are down and the fresh air of reality has never been so sweet. We began as individuals hoping for the best but we end as a team of spirited friends looking to better the world wherever we go.
p.s. Try not to FOMO too much
MIZ-ASB
Kenton Gewecke
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