Rotary and Me

When someone says the dreaded dilemma, "I have good news and bad news, which first?" you know you are in annoying situation. Usually the good news is not that good, but something random that the other person has thought up to lessen the bad news. Like, "Good news is that the weather is nice, bad news is your Grandma fell down the stairs and broke her hip." So theoretically, you have to actually pretend to care that the good news is actually something good, while really the bad news sort of tears you up. It is one of those things we Americans have become pretty good at, that is, hiding our emotions in order to not let others catch our weaknesses.

Anyway, I want to start with the good news, or at least the good stuff. I can not even begin to say how thankful I am for all that the Rotary International has done for me, a middle-class, surburban, American teenager that has lived in Japan and France for a year each because of the Rotary's kindness and hospitality. The program accepted me, arranged schooling, host families, and other opportunities for me. If it was not for Rotary I can not tell you the person I would be today, after all, I never choose Japan or France. They were both given to me from Rotary. I would never have met the R's, had a big sister, Naoko, been fluent in Japanese, become a wine enthusiast, learned Tea Ceremony and the Koto, among a multitude of other things.

The Japanese Rotary was the most kind and wonderful oranization that I could ever imagined existed. They paid for all of my activities, including travel throughout the whole country, Koto lessons, private school, and even host families. For all that they have done for me, I suppose I came to France realizing nothing could be like Rotary Japan. But I have come to hope that nothing like Rotary France exists.

And now for the bad news, which is not exactly news, but more or less the blunt truth. The Rotary is France, while supplying with a host family that I very much adore, has done nothing else at all. I do not even know where to begin with my feelings towards this Rotary. Perhaps it is the fact that I have had to fight each and every month for my Rotary allowance, and have already been told I will not receive any money for June. Or maybe that no one ever calls to ask me if things are going okay with my host family, life in France, or anything in general. Sure their lack of 'care' has enabled me to jump on a train and explore Europe with no restrictions, but it is still ridiculous. It is unfair for my host family, who could very well have serious problemes with hosting me, to have no one to talk to. In addition, they have to pay for my lunch at school, which every Rotary in France for, except mine who said, 'she gets a monthly allowance, let her pay.' This would be fine, but my meanly allowance would not cover lunch everyday at the school. But no matter, I rarely ate at the school anyway.

In addition, my counselor refuses to do anything. Who picked me up from the airport when I arrived? Alex's counselor. Who drive us to the train station at 4 in the morning for Toulouse? Alex's counselor. He also refused to attend to required district conference, so I had to find me own ride. In addition, while Alex and Andrew have had lavish weekends skiing in the Val d'Isere or on the beach at Cannes, I have done not a single thing with my Rotary club. I met my counselor only one, in November in my birthday, whereby he required my presence at a meeting, did not speak to me a night, had someone else bring out a cake while everyone was leaving, and then drove me home.

But the worst part? The Rotary came to the hosue last night to discuss my departure and my year. This is normally done in a a big meeting with the club, but I was in Belgium at that time. Interestingly enouh when Rotary called and said I was required to be at this meeting, Leonie pretty much told them to stick it where the sun does not shine. She was going to require me to come home just for a couple of clowns who had ignored me the majority of the year. I did not know about this till last night when I was yelled at for not coming to the meeting.

At last night's discussion, they questioned me about my year. I gave a an answer and then they proceeded to make conclusions based on things they knew very little about.

"Did you like school?"
"Not particularily. I did not make very many friends."
"Oh so she integrated badly into French culture and school life, what a shame."

It continued like that.

"How do you feel about livin with the same family all year?"
"It worked out great for me, but of course there were some difficulties. Never the less, I loved them a lot."
"Difficulties? Hmmm.... well I knew we should have pulled her from Fixin and this family after Charlotte came home early. She messed up the dynamics of the family. Julie, you need to understand that they like you a lot, but I am sure they will be pleased to see you go home."

The entire meeting was bloody ridiculous. I would have been seriously offended and disappointer, perhaps even shedding tears but I have sort of given up on caring what Rotary France does in concerns with me.