【正文】 ls I used for chemistry.After the assembly, they gave us our assignments. I was assigned to assimilate into the mainstream society of a Latin American country. It wasn’t long before I was doing things that I will forever be ashamed to admit.It’s been over for about 15 years. But I’ll never feel clean and I’ll never be able to assert that I have been a good man all my life.16The World of TeachersI love to associate with my fellow teachers. We meet at least twice each week at the Faculty association meetings. At these meetings, we often talk about our classes over a wonderful snack of assorted fruits. We’re a closeknit group, although we’re quite different in character.Jane is one of my most astute colleagues. She teaches a course in astronomical phenomenon. Her students are often astonished when she talks about “black holes” and her theory of the shrinking universe. But she is careful to assuage their concerns. She assures them that her theory is based on a number of assumptions that may turn out to be unture. My friend Bob teaches nuclear physics. He says it’s all about atoms, atomic particles and atomization. I assume he knows what he’s talking about. He must know, given how assuredly he speaks about the subject.Mary teaches religion. However, she is an atheist. She has an excellent sense of humor. She often jokes about how she may end up having to atone for not believing in God.Jim is our school’s physical education teacher. He’s a natural athlete and he loves basketball. He never fails to astound us with his ability to dunk a basketball backwards without looking.Lastly, there’s Sally, our teacher of geometry. She likes to talk about symmetrical and asymmetrical triangles. Frankly, it drives me crazy to think about those things. But I like her stimulating personality. She probably knows how to turn a boring subject into a fascinating one.As for me, I teach art. It brings out my creative side.17Life Beyond InjuryI still recall the accident. I had an audacious attitude back then. I remember being very upset at my brother and telling him, “you have the audacity to call me a coward when you won’t even try.” Neither of us knew how unstable and heavy that auger bit was.Then I felt the numbing pain of the auger bit crushing my back. I can still see the ambulance attendants, in their clean white attire, attending to my injury. I think my voice was barely audible. The doctors were able to attach supporting metal pins to my spine, but I’ve yet to walk. My whole body seems to be in a state of atrophy. But I’ve never given up hope. One of my strongest attributes is patience. Someday, I’ll attain the use of my legs again.Fortunately, my attorney helped me to obtain pensation for my injuries. The extra money helps to augment my monthly ine. I still work as an accountant, auditing the books of small panies. But I only work parttime, and later this year, I plan to retire. It looks like my pany will reduce its staff through attrition.I’d like to spend more time with my family now. I have a strong attachment to my wonderful and energetic daughter. Everyone loves her. It’s as though she emits an aura. This afternoon, I’ll be taking her to the school auditorium so that she can attend an audition for a part in the school play. Next winter, we’ll be taking a trip to Alaska to see the aurora borealis!18A Change of PaceJoining the Peace Corps is an auspicious start to a career in the Foreign Service. Peace Corps volunteers perform charitable functions in developing countries under the auspices of the . Government. They primarily serve as auxiliary advisers or teachers. Most volunteers are average citizens just looking for a change of pace.Every volunteer receives a uniform. It’s clean but far from avantgrade. You also receive a handbook. It’s an authoritative manual for survival in your host country.The handbook contains some useful tips for staying out of trouble in a foreign country: respect the authorities in your host country.’t authorize anyone to use your identification card. crossing a mountain pass in the winter, beware of avalanche conditions. alert for possible attacks by terrorists trying to avenge a loss. certain that anything valuable you buy is authentic. authenticate large bills before accepting assignments are dangerous. You might be sent to a country with an autocrat for a ruler. You may need to work near an area where rebels are fighting to obtain autonomy. Some regions are already autonomous but are fighting to retain control.Most assignments are not dangerous. In my first assignment, I was sent to a small Latin American country to help build an automated water supply system. The only difficulty I had in that country was cooking for myself. It’s too bad they haven’t invented an automaton that can make breakfast in the morning.If you’re available for at least a full year of service, you can apply to join the Peace Corps. Acceptance is not automatic. Perhaps at the end of your service, you will be able to write an autobiography of your adventures abroad.19Facing Your FearI’m averse to flying. It’s not that I don’t have a backbone. In fact, I am otherwise very brave. I wear a police badge everyday and I arrest dangerous criminals. My aversion to aviation dates back to when I was a child.When I was 8 years old, my babysitter took me on a short flight to visit my mom. We flew in a small plane. The weather conditions were very bad that day. Halfway to our destination, we hit a terrible storm. The aviator lost control of the plan. The powerful wind made the plane do several barrel rolls. It was like we were in a ball that was spinning on an axis. After a few seconds, the aviator regained control and averted a disaster.I avowed never to fly in a small plane again. That story should serve as a sufficient backdrop for my fear of flying.However, I’m an avid fisherman. In fact, fishing is