In reply to Mark.

I accept your apology, Mark. Thank you.
I will not password protect the blog, nor will I ask you to refrain from commenting on the posts or from visiting the site, because I too believe that opinions should be open to discussion. I think it's probably even more important that they're open for discussion when two people do not agree.

The difficulty with not knowing one another personally is that online debate becomes a game of words where neither one of us knows who/what lies behind those words. If you knew me personally, as most of the readers of the blog do, you'd know I am a very sensitive person in addition to trying to be very conscientious. Perhaps I'm overly sensitive at times, but I think the root is that I'm passionate about what I do and what I believe. From where I sit, because I don't know you, I wasn't able to interpret your comment as a prick of consciousness or simple questioning both because of my personal sensitivities and because of the aggressive and negative connotation that the mention of "conquistadores" holds for me.

In my teaching here, I do my best to present the audiences with as much information as I feel like they can handle without being overwhelmed. But I go further, always inviting them to question and doubt what I say. They all know they are invited to come talk with me at any time. I look up information if I don't know the answer. What I am trying to encourage is dialogue, information sharing, and the idea that asking questions is not only alright, but that it's a great idea. I believe this will pave the way for independent women in the future. I believe that the way I approached the theme and methods of family planning was done to the best of my ability. And it's not done. I am here for more than a year to continue to help local families access more information on any and all health topics that interest them.

What I hold sancrosanct is the individual's right to choose; each individual has to make their own decisions about what they believe and how they will act. To me, it's interesting how challenging it is to uphold this belief. My time in Peace Corps highlights that difficulty almost on a daily basis. Obviously I have an opinion about how I think people should do things. But it's not place to make their decisions for them. Remaining neutral is much easier said than done. I try to live what I believe and let that convince whom it will to follow my lead if they deem it good enough for them.

There are so many ways to do everything, so many situations that beg for alternative thinking. Exchanging ideas and thoughts on various methods is one of my favorite parts of this job. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts in the future. And perhaps we can solve this problem of being strangers? My husband and I will be in the Antigua during the months of July. Email us if you're interested in meeting up (emrich6@hotmail.com).

Respectfully,
Emily