Late night thoughts, and cover letters...

So I am sitting here, late at night scouring the internet for my ever elusive dream job, typing out cover letters, and ever so slightly tweaking my resume for what my friend Alex so lovingly refers to as "buzz words" when I realized that what I had written in my cover letter was less applicationy, and more bloggy...so I decided to share it with you. Now, before you begin reading please allow me to give you a little bit of background. The job I was applying for was for an Administrative Assistant for the World Health Organization in Syria. I am not sure how well you guys keep up with the news, but things in the Middle Eastern, and North African region of the world have been a bit hairy in the past couple of years. I really think it takes a special kind of crazy to want to do this job as much as I do, and I really don't think the WHO's antiquated job application survey really allows one to express ones, shall we say, drive and tenacity, as I am certain is required to willingly and eagerly travel to a country whose leader may or may not have knowingly poisoned his own citizens with noxious and deadly gases. I just happen to be one of those perfectly insane individuals, and I would hope that those who know me would fully attest to said characteristics.


Without further ado, my "cover letter":

One of the first memories I have as a child is of being in Kindergarten and learning about a butterfly on the verge of extinction in the Amazon rain forest.  I was mortified that the world could stand idly by as such a beautiful creature was destroyed in the name of development.  I knew at that moment that my sole purpose in life was to save the rain forest, and all the creatures in it from certain annihilation.  As I have grown older I have come to realize that there is more to life than pretty blue butterflies in a magical forest far far away, though I still feel that same passion and fierce tenacity today, only now that feeling stems from something greater than a fairy tale.  My passion for human rights and international development stems from an unwavering belief that all people deserve to live in an environment with reasonable access to healthcare and medicine, clean drinking water, and the ability to provide the essentials for themselves and their children without fear

Having traveled all over the world in the pursuit of helping others, and learning as much as I can from them as I go, I have come to appreciate the fact that I am young, and still have a lot to learn about life, and the world around me.  It is my solemn belief that in order to maximize my ability to help and learn from the world around me I cannot learn everything on my own.  Yes, there are many things I learned in University about computers, money, and businesses, but while this knowledge is useful to some degree on its own my true capabilities cannot be fully realized without experience.  Experience I hope to gain working with an incredible organization like the WHO.  

I may be young and I may have a lot to learn, but please allow me to take a moment to tell you what I do know, things for which there is no place on a resume or simple job application survey. First, I have traveled to 12 other countries, on 3 continents, and 35 of the American states.  Next, I am a big sister to three, mother of none, but teacher and caregiver to almost 100.  Lastly, I have dined in the halls of kings, but I have also relied on the kindness of friends and strangers for a meal, or a warm place to sleep when I had no where else to turn.  And, many things in between.  

While I have yet to publish great works, earn world renowned accolades, or ever work for a large aid organization like the WHO, I have done great things, and learned hard lessons, none of which can I put on my resume, but all of which made me the person I am today.  The person who believes she deserves a chance to prove what she can do.