When Clark Kent was invented, being a newspaperman carried much more significance. It was a symbol of intelligence, industriousness, success, and civic involvement. This was especially important given that Superman was an expression of American immigrant identity. In The Amazing Adentures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon eloquently makes the point that Superman is, in many ways, an expression of Jewish immigrant identity. The character was invented by a young Jewish American (as were many of the most famous superheroes), Kent has characteristic Jewish features (black hair and blue eyes) and Superman is a representation of the mythical golem, a strong creature that protected the Jews. In the early 20th century, it was difficult to be an ethnic looking immigrant. My own Italian-American family had our own struggles about what to keep or not keep – faith, language, tradition- in a time when the dark-haired Catholic (or Jewish, or Kryptonian) immigrant was viewed with suspicion.  So Clark Kent represented the immigrant who became the idealized American: the newspaperman.

This is no longer the American ideal, and is a part of life going by the wayside. Superman does not even represent the patriotic immigrant, having renounced his US citizenship. So, what would CK do nowadays to represent the successful man in a time when patriotism and civic engagement are less valued? If he were still in print media, I think he would be a blogger. In the broader scope of success, perhaps he run a dot com start-up, a la Facebook. What job advice would you give Clark? To help him out, I started a resume:

Resume

Clark Kent
Address: 1500 Main St., Metropolis
Phone: 555-555-4376
e-mail: clark.c@dailyplanet.com

Qualification Summary:

• Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter
• Excellent communication skills
• Outstanding organizational, multitasking, and problem-solving skills
• Superhuman abilities including: super strength, hearing, vision, and speed; x-ray vision; heat vision; flight; indestructible.

Employment History:

The Daily Planet (fmr. Daily Star) , Metropolis, 1938-
Investigative journalist. Published several acclaimed and award-winning features. Specialized in investigation of corporate corruption. Frequent collaborations with award-winning journalist Lois Lane.

Kent Farm, Smallville, KS, 1938-
Staff of family-owned farm. Took over as farm manager at age 18. Increased productivity of the farm 200%.

Education
Journalism
Metropolis University, Metropolis, KS.

Kryptonian Internship
Fortress of Solitude, Antarctica

Today we finished our work early and toured Windhoek. There are some very nice area and some with terrible conditions. Apparently Namibia has one of the greatest income disparities between the wealthy and the poor of any nation in the world because of the gem and mineral wealth. We passed one of the large informal settlements where people live in shanties made of corrugated steel (we even saw people with a small cement mixer building one of these). In this area, there are many, many shebeens (speak-easies, also in shanties), which is not surprising given the terrible conoditions in which some people live. We also visited Penduka, a women’s workshop. The women produce handmade goods to get finances for a better standard of living . I bought a couple of embroidereed gifts to support them.

Today the team I came with started our work. Our goal is to assess the current state of nursing education in Namibia and to make recommendations for improving the capacity to train nurses. Namibia has only 2 million people spread over a land area bigger than Texas. Delivering healthcare to the entire nation is a huge challenge. To start the assessment, we interviewed program directors in the Ministry of Health. They told us that the biggest problems here are maternal death, HIV, tuberculosis, and nutrition. Tomorrow,we will visit hospital clinical sites to observe clinical training.

This evening my work group went to dinner at Joe ‘s, a very kitschy local safari-themed restaurant. I had a kabob with oryx, kudu, crocodile, zebra… and chicken. The other night, I tried springbok. One thing I have learned is that Namibians love meat and eat lots of it. Game meat is really good- flavorful, but not obnoxious. The food is definitely influenced by the German colonization. There are hearty breads and a real European continental breakfast (meats, cheeses, etc).

On Sunday, my colleagues and I walked down to the local craft market. There are a lot of beautiful goods made by local artists. Using the ATM was unnerving though. I watched several men scoping out my colleagues as potential theft victims as they were at the ATM. Alertness is crucial.

Sunday afternoon, Susanna and I went to Duesternbrook, a game reserve about 1 hour north of Windhoek. A van took us there, then we went out in safari cars. We saw oryxes, springboks, and a herd of wildebeest all wild in the bush. At the reserve we saw semi-wild leopards and cheetahs. The reserve is a very large fenced in area where the cats are kept, and it is illegal to have game in with the cats (because the game can’t get away). So the cats are fed by humans- not entirely wild, but still pretty cool. The leopard was especially gorgeous. Also, the driver of the open safari car had a talent for swatting spider webs before they hit us in the back. Since I was in the front seat, I was very grateful to not end up with a two inch (!) spider in the face.

I am on the first leg of my trip to Namibia. I watched Red, which was a fun movie to watch on a plane. I’ve watched part of Charlie St. Cloud without sound on my neighbor’s monitor, which is enough to know I’ll never actually watch it. I’ve napped, made 2 music playlists, and read through the entire University of Namibia BNSc curriculum. And I still have over 2 hours until I get to Amsterdam. I am glad to be traveling with my colleague, who I can walk down the aisle to bug. I am also grateful that my mom loaned me her amazing noise-canceling headphones. I must admit that I am a somewhat high-maintenance traveller. I will never be a gal who hops on a jet with a small purse and a book. My carry on is heavy, but the time is passing reasonably quickly and I am content.

I was a little worried about having expertise to offer on this trip. We will be assessing the nursing baccalaureate curriculum at UNAM and making recommendations. In reading through the curriculum, I gained confidence that I have a good bit to offer, which is a good feeling. I am very excited to be using my own knowledge and skills in a way that contributes to global health. I feel so blessed that God has given me opportunities like this one, where I can fulfill a lifelong dream (going to southern Africa) and and the same time use my education and preparation to help people.

March 4, 7:23 am Amsterdam

5118 miles covered from Seattle. Sunrise over Europe is beautiful.

March 4, 18:11 Jo’burg

Made it through the first leg ok, but I am not real happy to be doing this again. I took an Ambien and slept several hours. But sleeping was making me stiff and uncomfortable. I got enough rest to get me through, but will stay awake now for a while.

I sat next to an interesting fellow who lives in England but is originally from Zimbabwe. We spoke a lot about various cultures and languages, how places differ. It was interesting to learn that it was not terribly difficult culturally for him to move to England because of Zimbabwe being a British colony. He said that the schools and infrastructure were much the same, just the weather was a big change. That, and the British food.

March 5, 17:46, Windhoek.

I have safely arrived in Windhoek. All of my luggage arrived and I am all settled in at the hotel. I feel that I stick out like a sore thumb in this town, which is an interesting experience. Being aware of that, I am being sure to be safe about getting around.

We arrived in Jo’burg last night. Interestingly, everyone was examined by infrared camera on arrival- I guess they were checking for persons with a fever. First time I have seen that. Susanna (my colleague) and I flew to Windhoek this morning. I am terribly jet lagged, but c’est la vie.

My employer hired a cab to drive us from the airport (well outside Windhoek) to our hotel. On the way, there was not a lot of wildlife, but the first thing I saw was a baboon perched atop a street sign. I saw several baboons after that. Tomorrow Susanna and I will take a half-day tour of a game reserve and see some African critters. I can’t wait!

God’s given me a lot of hearty spiritual food over the past week. At the women’s retreat we discussed contentment and how anxiety leads to discontentment. I’ve been struggling to overcome my own anxieties, but again – how can I take steps to make progress instead of trying to leap the building in a single bound? In a conversation last Sunday, God provided me the answer in the wise counsel of a godly friend: forgiveness. I’ve come to to realize that when I thought I was forgiving, I’ve been putting on a smile and saying “it’s ok” when it’s not. So how do I confront pain and disappointment and work though that to find forgiveness on the other side?

I still don’t know, but at the MHC Lake City member’s meeting last night, I felt God lay the path before me. I am to read the scriptures this year with an eye for forgiveness. What does forgiveness look like throughout the Bible? How did godly people work through their pain?

With my anxieties and worries, there was despair and oppression – a sure sign that these messages were not from the Holy Spirit. But with my recent thoughts, there is sweet certainty and hope that God will reveal Himself and provide healing for me. 2010 is looking up!

But I watched Fight Club and I loved it. I immediately went to buy the book.  It is hilarious, disturbing, and thought-provoking.
My friends James and Kat told of the first time they saw Fight Club in the theater.  They said they were laughing their asses off and everyone was eyeballing them like they were sick.  Why?  They said “Americans don’t ‘get’ satire.”  I think they are right.  In some respects, we are, in fact, the sleepwalking, self-important people that author Chuck Palaniuk describes. Maybe we do need our near-perfect wardrobes blown up, to be delivered from Swedish furniture and clever art.  What would happen if we really hit bottom?Fight Club is on the right track.  But it presents only the option of nihilism in the absurd extreme (satire, remember?).  Fight Club shows a cadre of men regaining power and meaning, but meaning that they create.  They trade the idols of comfort and routine for idols of anarchy and power.  “Getting God’s attention for being bad was better than getting no attention at all.”  That was Satan’s answer.If our lives are absurd, if they lack meaning, what is the answer then?  The other choice is finding meaning in the man who was God, who did not fight but died for love.  Is your house full of condiments and no real food?  There is a feast prepared for you (Revelation 19:9).