Friday, November 13, 2009

Leaving Ketchikan



November 17th is the day I will leave Ketchikan, Alaska forever. I never imagined that I would be living on an island in Alaska, much less staying for nearly 2 years. Growing in an economically-depressed, mid-city, black city such as Flint, MI, I had never experienced a world as naturally rich and liberating as Alaska.

When I joined AmeriCorps in January 2008 to serve as a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), I thought that I would see raucous bears and amble deer, but I never imagined that I would be pulling salmon out of a creek, blowing cans up with a pump action shotgun, split wood with an axe, camping in the middle of nowhere and cutting wood with a chainsaw. I knew that I would have to adapt to live in Alaska, but I didn't realize that this land would become such a big part of who I am.

Before I stepped foot on this island, I never wanted to be photographed, now I'm broadcasting myself across the world on the Internet. I used to sit in my house for hours, now I talk to complete strangers as if they were old high school buddies. In Flint, I had never fired a gun, now I own a Mossberg 500 and a Glock 21.

So although, I will leave Ketchikan, Alaska, I will make sure that I remember to bring a little piece of it with me.

6 comments:

  1. And that "piece" will forever reside within your heart. I certainly hope you'll continue to provide us with video updates on not only the economic/ethical deterioration of our nation, but on personal issues as well.

    Have a safe trip home.

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  2. Good luck on your journeys through this world.

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  3. I served as a VISTA volunteer in 1991 and lived on the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation for a while. It had an enormous positive impact on me as a person. Best wishes for your journey,

    Jb

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  4. Good luck on your move.
    Are you going back to Flint?
    I understand there are NO jobs there.

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  5. Sorry you are leaving Ketchikan. Good luck on your journeys. I've enjoyed your videos. tjm

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  6. Demcad,

    I luv your blog! Keep it up and you can make your living doing this!

    Put on your resume that you have YouTube vlogging experience and all the tech related to that. You can work for a company maintaining their online presence or an alternative news outlet, or create your own in Flint!

    Good Luck!

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