Reflections so far...

We started out today with talking to a Hmong professor at Chang Mai University.  He was really interesting, talked about his research and push for an Ethnic Diversity Studies Program.  Because there is so much ethnic diversity in Thailand, it is interesting that this is the only program in the country. 

Adjong Cathy, Matt, Kari, Me, Dr. Mae Jo

We rode a bus to Chaingrai and then when up to Chaingkong. All throughout our trip we have seen pictures and shrine type signs of the king (sometimes his wife too).  They have been everywhere. It’s been really interesting. Every time I see one, I think about the extreme cost of it all and how much it will be when he dies and his son takes over.  For them, cost isn’t an issue and no one really thinks about it. Matt pointed out that it is a better investment than all the politicians who are in office for 2-6 years and all the commercials and signs that get put up for campaigning.  That is a good point. I remember living in Chicago and being amazed at how many signs at the airports and trains said “Mayor Dailey Welcomes you to the City of Chicago!” and now with Rom Emanuel, the signs have probably changed. For a city that is always in a budget deficit, that is a huge expense. Anyway I mention this because I wondered if I would see more in Bangkok because that is where he lives, but no they were all over Chang Mai too. And even on our bus ride today we saw them pretty frequently too. 

We’re up in a rural area for a few days, right on the Mekong River. This river is the boarder between Thailand and Laos, and I keep thinking about my client. From our bungalow (where we’re staying), we can look over the river and see Laos. It is such an incredible privilege to be here and to be learning so much about history, tradition, culture, faith, and families.  Being born in the United States and having heritage from Western Europe, I have incredible privilege that I didn’t ask for. I had no choice in that matter, just as no child has a say in what country they are born and what ethic background they are.  There are many times I take for granted things that others struggle to have. I have never had to leave my country because of war; in fact the only time my country was attacked directly, on U.S. soil, it shifted global politics, economics, warfare, etc. Generally the times that I have feared for my safety, it’s been because of something I’ve chosen to do. Sometimes it’s hard to know all the things I should be grateful for, when I don’t always know what I have and others do not (it’s the sentiment of “You never know what you have until it’s gone).  Traveling into many other countries has often taught me these lessons in very real ways.

Several months ago, I was in a seminar with several students and faculty. We were discussing various mental illness diagnoses that are in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), which is the handbook for all mental health professionals. It lists all the different illnesses that can be diagnoses (and claimed on insurance). We were discussing that sometimes the diagnoses don’t always account for cultural differences and we are sometimes at the risk of diagnosing something that may actually be culturally appropriate rather than being an illness. The subject of PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) came up. One of the criteria for it is that you have experienced something traumatic that is above and beyond what others have experienced. A student from Vietnam spoke up and said that it wasn’t relevant for her country, because everyone has experience so much trauma that nobody would qualify.  So no matter the atrocities you have faced (murder of loved ones, torture, imprisonment, etc.) it doesn’t count and the diagnosis of PTSD is irrelevant because the whole population has it.  

I am thankful that I don’t know what that is like, and I pray that I never have to, but it certainly something to think about. It puts my concerns/worries/freak outs into perspective. Remembering that there is so much going on in the world that is so much more real than what I’m facing. Yet I also have to allow space to be kind to myself and allow myself to freak out about my concerns. We can’t really compare from person to person. It certainly isn’t a competition of who has experienced the most traumas or who handles their problems “best.” It doesn’t matter. It does matter that we help each other through in whatever way we know how. And while we don’t always agree how to help others (particularly on a grand/international/governmental scale), it is important that we continue doing the best we can and deciding that it does make a difference.