Ever since I wrote my first philosophy of life – “Always Follow a Schmuck” – dozens have asked me if I would continue because the first was so helpful. Actually, no one has asked, but it seemed like a cheap and easy opening for the topic of “What I have learned being a dorm dad to eighth grade boys”:

1. We had a progressive dinner for the eighth grade class.
   My first philosophy of life is this:  If you live in a house with sixteen 8th grade guys, Mexican food should NOT be on the menu.
2. We had a dorm party and had an activity with the 8th grade girl’s dorm. We played a game named “Plague,” which involves people getting the plague and dying by screaming loudly.
   My second philosophy of life is this:  Any game that encourages 8th grade girls to scream is a BAD idea.

Because of the war, the decision was made to close the school a week early, so kids could get home to their parents. Borders can close, and so the school closed.

Getting hundreds of children home in the last minute is a logistical nightmare, and it proved to be so. Some of the parents don’t have phones; they might have a neighbor that has one who is a hundred miles away. Getting it all taken care of took lots out of everyone.

One of the consequences of the war was the regular interim had been cancelled. Interim is a week of junior and seniors going on special trips to study marine biology or geology or aviation. It might include rafting the Nile, or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is a big part of the tradition here, and it was really a hard decision to cancel. In the interest of safety, it was determined that it would be best to reschedule with events closer to campus.

The person I would like to be like more than anyone in the world is my boss, Mark Buhler. He would never believe it, because I spend much of the day making Canadian jokes to him. (Example:  To score BIG points with Canadians, play Born in the USA as loud as you can while you accept any apology with an “Oh it’s ok; you’re Canadian!”) He is all that you would want to be:  wise, compassionate, funny and someone who has accomplished so much. He is in the process of building an orphanage; he has done more to protect the forest than anyone I know, and you could go on and on and on and not cover all he has done.

When the regular interim was cancelled, it fell upon Mark to reschedule things closer to campus. Scheduling things in Africa is so hard; many businesses don’t have phones, and trying to coordinate activities for 150 kids would be the most daunting task. I would estimate that Mark spent over 70 hours a week for two weeks coming up with alternatives. This was above doing his regular duties.

And then school was cancelled and all the kids went home.

I think I am learning that it is not only doing good things, but the spirit in which we approach them that is the key to greatness. If I had worked so long and hard on something that came all to naught, I would have put on my cranky pants and slept in them.

But Mark smiled his smile and just went on.

Mark is a reminder to me of the power of one good man. From the orphanage to the forest, he is accomplishing great things.

But I think the most beautiful thing he’s ever accomplished was the thing that never came to be.

Your pal,
Steve