Just World Peace

    When I was interviewing to be an outbound, way back in October,  at the end they asked me if I had any questions. I asked them what the goal of the Rotary Youth Exchange programme is. One of the people interviewing me said: "it really is world peace." I smiled and listened, but I didn't get it. How did they think that sending teenagers the other side of the world for a year would solve world peace? Now I get it. Every time an exchange student introduces ourselves we always include where we are from. As soon as that happens, to the listener, our country will be associated with our name, our face, and the feelings they have towards us. Now when I hear "Lithuania" the first thing that I think of is my friend Elena. I know that, of course, not all Lithuanians are like her. But, now I will always associate her characteristics with her country. Maybe I'm not the first thing that comes to mind when my friend thinks of America. Maybe they think of a movie or McDonalds, maybe they'll visit America one day. So maybe I become an afterthought. The back of their mind will whisper "I had a friend from America when I was in high school, remember her?" If that is the case, I'm content with that, but I better be a damn good afterthought. My job is to make sure that when that happens, they remember me fondly, or admirably, or at least I'm in their favor. So that one day, when my friend Kim, or Sandy, or Sean have to make a decision that affects America, I will be what causes them to stop and think about both sides. When they hear the news talking about another school shooting or something the current commander in chief has done, they do not label all Americans because of that. They will remember me, think of what I am to them, and that they know an American who is good.