Getting Used to Uncertainty
By Sofia Heartney
My first weeks of school did not pan out exactly as I thought they would. Mainly because there wasn’t a school schedule for a couple of weeks. Growing up in the U.S., exchanging school schedules was a cherished ritual that occurred weeks before the school year began. It was a time to see which teachers I would learn from, which classes I had with my friends, and which subjects had the dreaded morning blocks.
Things operate a bit differently at my school here in Colombia. The week before classes started, there were a multitude of meetings for teachers and administrators. One of those meetings, I was told, would be when we were given our schedule for the year. Wednesday, when that meeting was supposed to be held, passed. So did Thursday. Then Friday. Then it seemed like we would be getting our schedule on Monday morning, right before students arrived. The school schedule ended up getting released at the end of the second week of school.
The lack of a schedule meant that no one quite knew what each day would bring. Administrators announced recess and lunch minutes before they began, students didn’t know what subjects they would be learning each day, and assemblies and introductions were organized on the fly.
It was frustrating for me, especially at first. I am someone who typically likes to make a plan ahead of time, who, when stressed, will time-block my schedule so I know exactly where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing at every point of the day. That’s not possible here. Plans change at the last minute, logistics often aren’t planned or shared. It was hard for me to wrap my head around. I couldn’t plan ahead or even really have an idea of what the day would bring.
However, I soon realized that despite the lack of planning that I earlier would have considered essential, everything ended up working out. No one seemed particularly bothered by the lack of a schedule. In fact, many seemed to welcome the changes and deviations that each day brought.
I decided to try this attitude out. I quickly understood what I had been missing. It was so much easier to just accept that you didn’t have complete certainty of what the day would bring. That has been an especially important lesson in terms of teaching, where each class requires me to adapt on the fly based on the students’ energy or understanding.
Since I’ve made an effort of just accepting what comes, I’ve begun to appreciate the value of not being tied to a schedule; the value of stopping in the middle of a run when invited to have a tinto with a neighbor or of going to a church event with absolutely no idea of what will occur. It means celebrating with full force every single holiday—even ones that I never would have thought warranted significant celebration, such as International Women’s and Men’s Days. It’s also given me a new perspective on work-life balance. People certainly work hard, but there’s an awareness that the world will not end if we don’t cover possessive adjectives by the end of the week. The acceptance of spontaneity and the ability to adapt to whatever circumstances the day brings leads to less stress overall, as you stop fighting the inevitable changes and instead take advantage of whatever new opportunities present themselves.
I probably won’t completely let go of my preference for making a daily plan for myself. But, I’ve begun to see those plans more as suggestions rather than fixed events. Being open to the uncertainty and changes that each day inevitably brings allows me to live in the moment and be open to each new opportunity. It’s a skill that I expect to continue developing throughout my time in Colombia, and I hope to hold with me afterward.
Disclaimer: The content of this publication is generated by individual volunteers. The opinions and thoughts expressed here do not reflect any position of the United States government or the Peace Corps.