Mother Teresa, Startups, and Hip Peanut Butter.

In terms of hip, cool topics to bring up here, let’s discuss Mother Teresa.

I’m sure you have some idea of who she is and why she was canonized in 2016, so we’re not going to go into that. Worst case scenario, apply Step One of the “Wait That Paper is Due Tomorrow‽” and go to Wikipedia.

I’m going to be honest - my own knowledge of Mother Teresa and her charitable work is far from extensive. I had to make a poster about her at some point in middle school. I’d be lying if I said I still had it, but I can guarantee you that the word “Love” probably popped up in it more often than in a 12-year-old girl’s diary, or in drunken ramblings to an unovercome ex. I’ll bet the wrinkled 10 dollar bill in my pocket that it contained some nauseatingly positive and unoriginal images of people embracing strangers or of children sitting in a circle in a third-world country. And, before ducking behind a shelf out of what I suppose is shame, I can almost guarantee that, before submitting that poster (I think it was around Thanksgiving,) I opened the highest cupboard in my kitchen and pulled out some cans of… beans of some sort. We were required to donate to the Food Drive after all.

I admire Mother Teresa, but I’m admittedly not fascinated by her. When reading a biography of her on a whim, however, I was blown away by a single phrase of hers.

Find Your Own Calcutta.

From the “praise” on the back of that paperback biography, I could tell that sufficiently many people were inspired simply by finishing it to go pull on their T-Shirts with “Volunteer” on the back and help the world in some way. Or atleast to drag their arses to church. And that’s wonderful. However, to some percent of readers, the woman’s story struck deeper. They, for example, Sister Mary Johnice, developed a sudden “Send Me” spirit that I’m sure, in some way, we’re all familiar with.

“Send me to the Destitute and Dying of India!”

Watched a 3-minute news reel on some plague in Wheretheheckistan? “Send me!”

Heard about a cool startup with an exciting idea and mission? “Send Me!”

And yet, Mother Teresa would apparently look into their eyes (which I’m realizing now would probably terrify me, but oh well) and said "Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely right there where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have the eyes to see."

Now, this is coming from an atheist high schooler who was standing on a crowded bus while listening to Nickelback, and who’s only slightly ashamed that going off to help the “destitute and dying” is not exactly in my 5 Year Plan. I’m a Business student and a hopefully-writer in New York City. My mind is more buzzing with ideas for marketing strategies of startups, potential doodles, and god knows what. Certainly not with God’s Words and charitable causes.

And yet I know I’ve certainly wanted to put my “Calcutta” thumbtack in the wrong place on the map of good ideas. I want to write a cookbook ! I want to start a brand of eco-friendly activewear! Oh, you’re bringing art to hospitals‽ Let me help!

I definitely wouldn’t know, but apparently it’s a common theme that, the second you become a parent, it seems everyone on earth, from the sixty-year-old bodega owner to the teenager serving you your morning coffee, to your mom wants to “give you some advice.” To give Baby his First Spaghetti. To post Baby on their Instagram. It may take a village to raise a child, but someone else’s baby is not everyone’s village - their Calcutta.

There exists controversy about Mother Teresa’s exact mode of operating; critics examine her secret baptizing of the dying, the lack of sanitation and sterilization, and, of course, various issues with politics and money. I’m not going to comment on this - it’s not my area. But I think it shows just the extent to which Calcutta was, well, her Calcutta. Her Baby. Parents pull 72 hour shifts because Sally won’t go the fuck to sleep. The owner of that startup might work through New Year’s Eve or make that kind-of-sketchy-ish investment deal to get his first round of funding. A Stranger? Not my kid. I’m going to bed. Find an accountant. Startup Steve or Mommy Melissa or Charitable Christine will find a way. I’ll find an Excuse.

I’m not going to lie. This kind of sucks. Maybe I want to find better treatment for PTSD. Maybe I want to design some of the clothes I model. Maybe I want to start my own brand of Organic Vegan Gluten Free Cruelty Free Sexy Whole Foods Nut Butter. I definitely want to found Art Therapy programs in hospitals. And yet I haven’t yet. I own enough books about leadership and finding Angel investors. I COULD go to medical school. I probably won’t.  Probably not my calcutta.

I haven’t the foggiest idea where my Calcutta is. And I guess that’s alright - I still don’t know how to operate my dishwasher or how to fill out TAP. Regarding things people really want, they say they’ll figure it out. It'll come naturally. The right dreams don't need Viagra.  I’ll be honest, I don’t remember if this was in a joking conversation before Six Flags’ King Da Ka or in a serious conversation when I was in the hospital, but a friend asked me if I’d written in my will that I want them to publish my writing. Like I said, I have no idea what I responded with, in the same way that I still don’t know what it is that I REALLY want. But they say “Where there’s a Will, There’s a Way.” And I really don’t want to wait for my Will to be relevant to find mine.