“…you were also meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought”
Living in Europe must have somehow fueled a darker sense of cynicism in my heart. Looking over my initial posts and other reflections, I have (and continue to) felt disenfranchised, bordering depressed, and certainly anxious for something else. That’s crap. I’m Michael Gale, one of the most ridiculously positive people in my circle of friends and probably above average in the ambitious and loving categories.
The next couple of weeks are a time of excitement and hard work. I have decided that against all odds, I will complete my graduate thesis on July 27th, even if I must sacrifice the quality of the research or writing. From then I will be free to pursue other interests in activism and public service. I already have most of my weekends in August lined up with conferences and meetings including a reunion of my Truman Scholar class and a membership retreat for SustainUS, an organization with which I am involved. These are going to be some really exciting times as long as meet the required objectives of "making it happen," especially with regards to my thesis.
What’s with the sudden change? First, I just had a ridiculously fortuitous time in Dublin. We had a series of events planned for Mitchell Scholars that included a musical that I had already seen and a tour of the Chester Beatty Museum, a must see for any visitor to Dublin. At his home in Phoenix Park, the Mitchell Scholars got to have a conversation with Bertie Ahern, the
Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland. We talked about science in Ireland, professional wrestling, and the contentious political issues of the day. I was very humbled to have met my first "world leader," and actually I think I was the only person in the group who was visibly nervous. The highlight of the week though was seeing U2 and Bono in concert in their home of Dublin, Ireland. I have always been a fan of the band and yet I have never had the chance to see them in concert. The show was amazing and full of progressive and meaningful social and political messaging including a display of the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. My friend Paul made the funny remark, "the readership just doubled." Although he might be right, it was quite empowering.
Second, beginning the transitional work of leaving Ireland and moving back to the United States to pick up where I left off has reminded me of what has been important to me. Empowerment is what I am about. I spent my time in public service so far working to empower students and other youth in their own personal development journeys, particularly with regards to advocating environmental issues. I have had an amazing year in Ireland, despite many roadblocks and bad times, but now I am ready to move on to something greater and more wonderful than I have ever achieved. I hope that my friends and associates will be there to motivate me as you have always done.
