Seeing Through Others' Eyes
Print this Page- By Beverly Heckel
- Country: Guatemala
- Dates of Service: 2000–2003
Prior to joining the Peace Corps, my involvement in organized volunteer work was limited—of course, it would seem limited to me now that volunteerism is my life. As a 4-H Club member, I participated in numerous volunteer efforts, ranging from reforestation projects to Christmas visits to nursing homes. I come from a family tradition of helping others. We helped our neighbors and our community in whatever ways we could—shoveling snow, driving people places they couldn't get to alone, and cooking for those who were sick. It was just a part of our lives and we didn't think about it.
During my school years, I regularly visited a family friend who was confined to a nursing home in St. Paul. This pleasant, elderly lady and her friends seemed to appreciate our brief visits, and I gained an appreciation for the wisdom and challenges of seniors.
That may have been one of my earliest experience seeing things through the eyes of someone different from me. I have found that this ability is an essential skill in the Peace Corps. Wherever a Volunteer serves, the people, the lifestyles, the beliefs, the societal norms, and the history will be very different from those in the United States. To function effectively, we must look at things the way they are seen by the people we serve—not the way in which we are familiar. This is more easily said than done, but it is a skill that serves a person well throughout life.
The obligation to serve and to share is deeply rooted in my family. My parents were always lending a hand to someone and working in the community. My brothers are the same way. We don't share money but knowledge, education, abilities, and experience. These are things that multiply when you share them.
The world has become a very small place, in the sense that none of us can ignore what goes on in other countries. We are affected by the health, agricultural practices, politics, and economy of every country in the world. For example, for the United States to sell American products in Guatemala, the Guatemalans have to have enough money to afford them.
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