Okay. I lied. This page does not contain everything you want to know. It probably contains things you don't want to know or didn't know you wanted to know until this particular moment when you sat down to read this and BAM suddenly you know. But now that you know whatever it is that you know, you don't see how this knowing is at all relevant to your life.
With that convoluted beginning let me expound on myself. I, like a few people in this world, don't have a sordid past. There's the odd curiosity of course; like the fact that I was born overseas, have four brothers and used to eat ants as a child. But other than that there's not a lot to tell.
People argue this point and question me extensively on what it was like grow up as a white kid in Asia and pick my brain for the ins and outs of culture shock and finish up with the all encompassing question "So do you think you're experiences growing up in Japan serve you well in life?"
In case you're one of those people let me put your mind to rest. The answer is yes.
Moving on. After spending the first eighteen years of my life in Asia I "returned" to the USA for college and became said expert on culture shock. I graduated from college and moved to Korea to teach English where English teaching jobs for foreigners are like manna from heaven; except you have to work six days a week, teach 250 kids how to say "where is the bathroom" and deal with getting every virus and snotty nose that walks through the door.
I came away from my Korean experience with an unexpected appreciation for good cheese, trees and not being run off the road by enraged taxi drivers. I also unexpectedly learned how to eat silkworm larva, rotting cabbage (surprising good) and strips of beef rolled up in a lettuce leaf lightly coated with hot pepper.
Four, fun filled years later I again returned to the US and have spent all my time ending modern slavery. Notice I did not say attempting to end slavery. No. I'm ending it. One fraction of a millimeter at a time.
Ending slavery is a full time job. Could you imagine working at a bank AND trying to stop slavery? It would take a bajillion years to get any thing done! But I do know some amazing people who do this. They have super human powers. I do not.
In reality it's really impractical to think of everyone leaving their day job to become an abolitionist. That's why there are only a few of us who have taken it upon ourselves to slave away day in and day out to end slavery.
Okay, I know that was a silly pun but there's truth to it. To end any sort of social injustice it takes ridiculous amounts of determination, diligence, hard work, persistence, tenacity, tirelessness and perseverance. Changing culture and mindset is no easy thing, not to mention trying to encourage better business habits, responsible consumer choices and a healthier government.
I think the hardest part of being an abolitionist is walking around with your fingers in your ears chanting "la la la" to yourself because everyone who finds out what you're doing tells you it's impossible.
Seriously, people. Is it really naive and idealistic to hope and work for a better world? I'm more than well aware of all the horrible stuff that happens in the world but if I don't believe that we can do better as humanity it's all going to get a whole lot worse.
So there you have it. Everything You Wanted to Know.
