“I had effectively built my own prison.”

I am from Colorado, United States. I was working at a fairly hip and comfortable non-profit organization in lower Manhattan in the summer of 2014 leading the (unfortunately currently) socially acceptable trope of a successful young white liberal, middle class, American male aiding in my small part to the gentrification of racial minority areas in Brooklyn and really just working at this “fellowship” to attain a sense of self-worth culturally, socially, economically, and perhaps even politically.

In other words, the psycho-social propaganda of the neo-capitalist American dream had fully infiltrated my psyche and I had, in perfect step with the scads of safe white liberal middle class kids who went to safe white liberal middle class colleges and are now working at safe white liberal middle class jobs, I had effectively built my own prison via the literal structures around me where were merely symbolic of the super-structures dominating the ideologies, movements, and creations of modern Americans.

In other words, America got me down so I told her to screw (editor: he said the “f” word) herself. I purged the negative karma of this lifestyle and have attempted to lead a genuinely intentional lifestyle for the betterment of other beings ever since.

A series of auspicious coincidences led me to India which I won’t list in full here at this juncture in time. Practically speaking, I came to India to volunteer at as a teacher at an alternative education institution in Ladakh and then made my way to the Dharamsala area to volunteer at Badmash Peepal Farm. I took care of the daily chores around the farm and helped out with improving the integrity of various new structures on the property and loved the animals with all my heart. (editor: he did!)

“I think that there is a converse relationship between inherited privilege and social responsibility. Act accordingly”.

— James