Realizing Dreams: National Geographic and Foster Care?!?

Since the moment I walked across the stage at graduation, and hopped a plane to India, I have been so insanely busy that I haven't taken one moment to process what has been happening in my life, and I definitely haven't had time to blog about it. This is somewhat because I don't allow myself to get emotional about my "career". I want to act like it is all business, but I think I have arrived at a new avenue in my life. I believe that I am going to let myself enjoy the career that I have chosen. There is no reason to have guilt over enjoying your work, and I think from this moment forward, I will share my love for my J.O.B. with the world.

Last night, as I performed my nightly rituals, I had a moment... I suddenly realized that I have achieved my wildest dreams. It is somewhat unbelievable when I think about the path that has led me here, to the place where I have been accepted to grad school, I am working for a CRM firm, and I am preparing for my second trip to India. I am not traveling for holiday; I am traveling on a research visa. What?! Is this true? I just pinched myself to make sure that I wasn't writing in my sleep. Yep. True it is! This time I will wear a title of Crew Chief on a National Geographic sponsored archaeological project, and I will be assisting others as they realize their dreams. I know that every archaeologist reading this just did an eye role at the Nat Geo grant, but today I am going to celebrate. =)

 

 

 

Just last week, an abstract of mine was featured in the annual report of  Foster Care India . This organization is the real deal. They are breaking ground all over the world to change the face of childcare as it exists today. This may not initially sound as important as it truly is, but if anyone reading this has witnessed the pleading eyes of a hungry and parentless child, then you understand what a foster care system could do for those children who exist without family or food on a daily basis. My involvement with this group has been minimal at best, but I rejoice in the opportunity to interact with such phenomenal people as those who have founded this group. I remember, distinctly, saying to my mother and grandmother, as a teenager, "I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling that I have an important job to do in this world". I know this sounds cliché, and I am well aware that we all contribute something significant to our Earth and society, but deep in my gut, I had this feeling that there was a bigger plan for my life than what I had yet experienced. From the moment I saw the faces of the children that Foster Care India is changing the lives of, I couldn't help but remember that moment as a youngster, when I declared that I would do something important with my life. I am not sure if this is where I will land. As much as I would, selfishly, like to put down my landing gear here and work with FCI forever, I don't believe the organization actually needs me, they are in great hands. If I never contribute more than the little abstract that is okay. I have learned that one person can change the world, and if my contribution is meant to be only a minimal one, then I know that I have been given the tools to take on whatever comes my way. With that said, I wish each and every person reading this, will follow Foster Care India's journey as they, quite literally, change the world.

When I sat down to write this post, I didn't have the intention of only writing about FCI, but this is the natural flow of what I had to say so I am going to leave it as is. I hope you all visit FCI's website and facebook page. It is worth a look. It is good soul medicine, and not one of us can deny needing a good dose of this once in a while.

 
This little one has a family. They love him with all their being. Every child deserves this experience.

I think I will sign off by saying, no matter who you are or where you are, your life has a purpose. You are a part of this organic world for a reason. Seek out the journey of greatest importance, not the journey of least resistance. Listen to your heart and walk through cracked doors. The door may not swing open wide without effort put forth by you to complete the action. 

Stepping down from my soapbox...

Happy Holidays to all of my readers!

 

Kasper, Karma, and a (not yet, so good) Farm Girl

I have been waiting for the perfect opportunity/occasion to discuss a particularly interesting confirmation of karma and blessing. As I take on my last official day of class today, I am feeling a bit more emotional than normal (2 crying episodes before my 1st class) :-'( so I have decided this is the perfect opportunity to share the unique story of karma showing its face in my unconventional (in the eyes of most) life. To fully understand the happenings, one needs a bit of background information because, like I said before, the story about to be told is a particularly interesting one....NOT conventional in any way!

Background:

I live in small town Georgia, and married into a wonderful family of cattle farmers. Although I had grown up in the same little town, I had never experienced farm life at the level of theirs until, by marriage, I became a "Burnette". I didn't fully understand the struggles and rewards that came along with the (not so) "simple" (this term is laughable when one considers the endless amounts of back-breaking work and necessary knowledge involved) life. The Burnette's have been farming the same land for more than four generations now, and it is more than a job title, it is what defines them through and through. They posses an amazing ability to be completely self sufficient, and the farm itself is an extension of their being. I am slowly learning the reigns of this fabulous life style through experiences such as the one about to be told.

Kasper and Me (2009):

I, the newest (not yet, so good) Burnette farm girl, learned a very important lesson in life with the birth of Kasper, the paralyzed calf.  Yes, I told you the story was going to be a bit unconventional, but it is extremely relevant to this moment in my life.   ~here goes the tale~

*As an added bonus, I decided to include a little video clip of Kasper.
http://youtu.be/NaDV0auTCHY


Kasper (name given by yours truly) the little calf, was born without the ability to use his back legs. I, the animal lover, couldn't stand the thought of him being put down. I was sure that he deserved a fighting chance, and decided to ask my father-in-law to let me care for him. He, of course, said yes, even though he knew the inevitable outcome. With great confidence, I took on the the task of "rescuing" Kasper. Twice a day bottle feedings, before daylight and after work and/or school, depending on the day of the week were a necessity. My fabulous husband, who also knew the predictable outcome because he was raised on the same farm, built me a lift for the little one. This enabled me to pick him off the ground for daily physical therapy sessions. Yep, physical therapy for a cow....I did it =-/  I, along with the help of the willing family member of the day, spent hours at the barn feeding and caring for this little calf. A very long story made short, Kasper eventually took a few steps on his own. On this day I called every member of the family to celebrate. One would have thought I was celebrating the first steps of my own child. I was so thrilled that I had defeated the odds and saved the life of baby Kasper that I couldn't contain my happiness.

Well, I wish the story ended happily ever after here, but it doesn't. My in-laws, and husband were right about the outcome from the beginning. I will spare you the sad details, but Kasper didn't make it in the end. Nature defeated nurture this time. While I was working, my husband called to give me the news so that I wouldn't drive to the barn at the close of my shift that night. I was, needless to say, devastated.

After Kasper's passing, my father-in-law gave me another calf. This one was healthy and lively. My in-laws kept her with the rest of the herd, and I basically had nothing to do with caring for her, but he always reminded me that she was mine. She grew into a fine cow, and while I was away at a field school in Belize, she gave birth to a beautiful baby. My mother-in-law sent me pictures of the little one and I named him after the mountain that I was working at the top of in Belize. Pol Sak Pak, "white face mountain/cliff", was the Mayan name for the site. The baby had a beautiful white face so I named him Pol Sak.

Fast forward 10 months:

I am frantically scurrying about in an attempt to finish up with school while preparing for my trip to India. Although I am waiting tables to earn the remaining amount of money needed for my golden ticket into graduate school, aka a $1,400 plane ticket, the deadline is quickly approaching.

My mother-in-law calls me early one morning; she tells me that my father-in-law has something important to talk to me about. After 6 years of dating (another story to be told.. we have been together...well, almost forever), and 6 years of marriage to my husband, my father-in-law has never had anything important to "talk to me about". My mother-in-law does most all of the "important talking" that needs to be done in the family. This phone call left me super freaked out, to say the least. I couldn't start to imagine what he had to talk with me about.

I drove straight to the Burnette place, and with little chatting at all, my sweet father-in-law handed me a check from the cattle sale the night before. My latest calf, that I had contributed zero time and effort to caring for, had sold. The check was made out directly to me for an amount almost exact to the remaining balance of my plane ticket. My father-in-law and I had never discussed my financial needs. He had absolutely no way of knowing what I lacked in funding for my trip.

Karma and Blessings:

I feel so sure that a good deed has been rewarded in this situation. I have been waiting for the moment to tell the story, and I feel that my new blog is the perfect place to do so. This story isn't just about a mindless attempt to rescue a calf three years ago. It is, for me, confirmation of the path I have chosen. It is a blessing that came at the most perfect time. It is, again, confirmation that hard work and dedication is rewarded, even if the initial result isn't the one you were looking for. I feel that this trip to India is one of great importance, and will most likely have a profound affect on the outcome of my acceptance into the graduate program that I hope to be a part of. This check from my calf....a gift from my father-in-law, has the potential to forever change the trajectory of my life's work. As I so gratefully say thank you to him, I can't help but believe that he now has karma on his side =) Hopefully, I will, one day, be the one to reciprocate the kindness. 

The Countdown is ON

It is officially the week before the last week of my last finals as an undergrad. It is eight days before my last anthropology paper of my bachelor's is due (maybe I should write it sooner than later), and I am 17 days away from walking across the stage to claim my degree! Hold the applause!!

Really? Did I, Jessica Griggs Burnette, finally finish something I started? No, technically speaking,...not yet! I am so anxious as this countdown approaches because, to be quite honest, I have never really followed all the way through with anything. My whole life, I have struggled to find the place that my ever-wondering mind, hyperactive body, and sensitive soul (cliche, i know...i know, but i had to go there) could coexist in harmony and happiness. I have settled into places where one or two of the trio could be content, but someone was always left feeling a bit abandoned. I keep waiting for one to speak up, and activate the freak out neuron that sends me into a spiraling frantic, searching for the new place to hang my hat. As this chapter's end grows near, I am slowly starting to believe that I have found that space that I was put on this little earth to exist within. Anthropology has forever expanded and enhanced my views of humankind and our existence as a species in a way that I am positive will allow me to contribute to the world of Science and Humanity in a way that is true to who I am. I feel that I will be leaving my mark on this world in a more positive and thorough regard, all because I have finally found the path that enhanced who I already thought myself to be. I am truly starting to feel that I was "raised up" to be a little anthropologist, and that all of the muddy, broken, and rutted roads before, were leading me straight to the path of least resistance.

                                         Fingers crossed for the continuation of confirmation ;-)

A Brief Introduction to my Beautiful Dirt & Dreams

Here we go! I am preparing for a new anthropological adventure, and in doing so, I have decided to start a blog to keep all of my friends and family up to date and in touch with my life while I am abroad. I have chosen a career that is going to keep me on the go, and while I am loving every second of it, I often feel a bit disconnected from the people who are closest to me. I am finding out that most of my summers will be spent abroad or inside of a cave, or submerged neck deep in some beautiful dirt, and most everyone in my life is left behind. This part is difficult for me because I am really over-attached to my friends and family--no..really...i mean....really.over.attached. =-'/

Last summer while working in the Mayan ruins of Belize, it was extra difficult for me to find the appropriate outlet that allowed me to describe the beautiful dirt that I was experiencing. I want those I love the most to get to experience these adventures along side of me. I want them to know that all of their sacrifice is going toward amazing work. Facebook just doesn't cut it, and email is not effective enough, because without fail, someone doesn't get cc'd on the most important email of the week, and I am left wondering why they haven't responded, while they are wondering if I have fallen into a deep dark hole, forever lost in a dark and (not so) scary cave!

With all of this said my new blog beautifuldirtdreams.blogspot.com is going to be dedicated to keeping those I love the most uber informed while I am away =)

INDIA!! 

My next destination will be to the country of my dreams, India. On May 10th at 10 AM, I will have successfully finished my undergraduate degree in anthropology. At 5:30 PM I will be on a plane to India! Yes, a bit hectic, but if you don't already know me well enough, you will soon learn that is the story of my life. I have yet to determine if this is of my own doings or if it was written in the stars when I was born. Ether way, I seem to somehow always complicate things to the max, and somehow always survive it ;-)

If you are interested in my anthropological voyages, follow my blog and stay in touch.

xo ~