The Head and the Heart

By Peace Corps Thailand Magazine on 10/06/2019 • ( Leave a comment )

Philip Hendrix, 130 TESS

Head: Okay, heart. Today’s an all–day teachers’ meeting. You know what that means?

Heart: We have to do work all day, don’t we?

Head: That’s right! No way we’re wasting time trying to figure out what they’re talking about. Let’s write that Sticky Rice article, maybe work on a song or two, maybe study some Thai, maybe catch up on some EMAILS! Remember, this is the year of doing. This is the year you get super brave and productive. I heard that it’s gonna give us a sense of meaning and confidence and satisfaction and … I don’t know, feeling alive! We’re going to be like Gerard Butler in 300, like, “Madness? This is Peace Corps!”

Heart: Umm, okay I’ll give it a try. (Heart starts writing article).

Head: Actually, maybe we should be listening. Maybe it’s important. Shouldn’t you be learning Thai anyways? Let’s close the laptop.

Heart: Well, no my man. I’m kind of on a roll, so if you don’t mind (Heart finishes first draft of article).

Head: Oh, I don’t think anybody’s going to want to read that. It’s probably not original. Honestly, it’s a bit hypocritical. Are you really in a position to give advice anyways? Maybe we should keep our theories about life to ourselves until we actually have our lives together. Lets … let’s come back to it later. Wanna write a song? How about that old one you were working on? I have some ideas on how we can make it better.

Heart: Oh, um, okay yeah! I like songwriting sometimes. (Heart works on song for a while, gets to a pretty good place).

Head: Umm, okay yeah some of those rhymes are pretty tight! But I don’t know about this one. We don’t have a melody for the verse yet, the chorus is probably melodramatic and not that catchy, and the guitar is broken and dirty. What are you even trying to do with this music anyways? You want to be famous? My man, if you wanted to be famous you should have started a long time ago. Ship’s probably sailed by now. But I guess if it makes you happy and it makes people happy that’s enough, right? Anyways, it’s probably time to do some real work. We’ve got that urgent PRC thing that you should have done in the morning, we’ve got lessons to plan, and we’ve got a whole school year to be ready for! So, let’s get to it.

Heart: (Sighs). Okay. (Does the urgent PRC work, waits until the head stops looking, and alternates between Bumble and sports news until the meeting’s over).

Head: Okay, we’re doing okay! Time to exercise. I hear the teachers are playing soccer on the turf field again.

Heart: Dude, that’s miles away. We just got back from vacation, and I think I’m going to get sick again. Can I just lie on this bed for a while?

Head: Haha so you can waste your evening on YouTube again? No way man, we’re better than that! We’ve been down that road. This is the year we get in shape! Don’t worry, your body will adjust. Plus, if you got on a decent freaking sleep schedule this wouldn’t even be a problem.

Heart: (Sighs) I mean I do like soccer. (Heart goes and plays pretty badly).

Head: What is going on?! My team’s playing like garbage. We’re playing like garbage. We’re losing to freaking children! Why do I even come to these things?

Heart: Forget this. (Goes home, eats, showers, hits up YouTube).

Head: Oh no no no. We talked about YouTube. That’s the one thing we’re not doing this year.

Heart: (Keeps watching).

Head: Hey! Turn it off!

Heart: (Keeps watching).

Head: Okay, one more clip and that’s it, okay?

Heart: (Keeps watching for hours).

Head: Man, it’s late. Tomorrow’s the first day of school. Can we please turn it off?

Heart: Fine.

Head: … Listen, I’m sorry.

Heart: (Doesn’t respond).

Head: Look, you worked really hard today. The article was a good start, you spent hours on songwriting and that’s always time well–spent. You had that great idea for your English Club. You went out there and you played hard and you kept your cool. So, I just want to say I appreciate it. Thanks. I’m proud of you.