Need vs. Want: What I will miss most (#10)

I am grateful to many people in my life, and am firmly aware that I would not be the person I am today without so much help, love, and support from my family and friends. 

In particular, I want to thank my Uncle John for something: the desire to earn the things I need, the passion to enjoy the things I want, and the ability to tell the difference between the two.  My life has indeed been privileged in comparison to the majority of my fellow man - I have never known true hunger or thirst, never been want for shelter or safety, and have always had an abundance of love.  I don't presume to stand on any high horse and dictate what ideals people should and should not hold dear, but I would argue that knowing the difference between want and need, and honoring both respectively, is of utmost importance to true happiness. 

This is not just preachy blog filler - I have a point, roundabout though it may be. 

When I think of the things, people, places, and experiences I will miss most throughout 27 months in the PC, I realize that even having these things to miss, is a fortune.  I do not worry that any of my basic needs will not be met in the PC despite that this may not be the case for those I am trying to help.  I know that so many of the wants and frivolities of my life will in al likelihood return quickly once my service is complete. 

Given all this, I want to make a list of the top ten things I (think) will miss during my service.  It would be far too easy to simply list these things in this post, and if I count down this top ten then it will be really suspenseful to see what my number one is, so I am artfully extending this idea throughout ten posts for your benefit.

Ill give you a taste though...

Number ten on the list of things I will miss most is my DVD collection.  I am a serious movie guy - I can watch virtually any genre and enjoy it on some level.  Of course, I happen to think my personal collection to be of primo caliber, which is why I will miss it.  I mean where else can you find a copy of Caddyshack, Beverly Hills Ninja, Jaws, virtually every sci-fi film worth mentioning, AND You've Got Mail in one place?  You'd probably need to go to a Blockbuster (do they still exist?) to find this kind of awesome variety. 

For me, movies call up much deeper emotions and memories in much the same way certain smells can conjure up thoughts and feelings out of the blue.  Movies for me are a way to bond with friends and family, provide a window through which to examine how things are and how they could be, and provide a means to put your brain in neutral and shirk the bonds of real life for a brief moment.

While I have many others methods of relieving stress that will hopefully be able to practice in the PC, reading, writing, running, and studying do not sound nearly as rejuvenating and ideal as popping in a favorite flick and feasting on cinematic glory. 

While my personal movie collection is number ten on the list of things I will miss most while in the PC, an honorable mention should certainly go to catching a new movie at the theater.  Kate and I are really great spouses to each other in this department.  We are really fair with our movie selections, and even if she or I disagree on the movie selection (which really does not happen too often), we each enjoy each-others' selections with full vigor. 

Going to catch the latest film is one of my favorite things to do.  Beyond that, movies are so culturally defining.  We embrace and reflect movies as we embrace and reflect food or music.  Missing out on two years of movie-going is like missing out on a chance to observe and take part in the history of one's own culture.  This thought is almost scary to me. 

A great solace however, is that while part of my own American culture may escape me while I am away, I will gain an understanding, and hopefully passion for, an entirely new one to me.  Will a dubbed Sino-Cambodian flick serve to calm my nerves as much as the experience of the Big Lebowski?  Will I get the same rush from non-stop kung-fu movies as I do from Empire Strikes Back (the whole Darth Vader as Luke's father scene still makes my knuckles white every time...)? 

Any PCVs or RPCVs out there miss movies while they are/were gone?  How did you cope?!