The Blogging Diplomat's Dilemma

The thing about blogging as a diplomat is that one is caught in a conundrum. One the one hand, it would appear that life is all fun and games, fancy diplomatic receptions and travel to exotic lands, doing mystifying work, and living a fascinating dream.

And on that one hand, its all true. Being a Foreign Service Officer, representing the ideals of our nation, and being able to execute those ideals, is a dream come true for many, including yours truly. Its hard to believe it's been nearly 10 years since I began serving our country.




But all that cavalier talk is a little misguided. Because on the other hand, there is the side not seen, the side that one cannot or doesn't want to blog about. There is the hard work, drudgery, and frustration, toiling in the foxholes of American diplomacy abroad, along with hundreds of compatriots around the world. There are the aspects of the career that for many good reasons are not broadcast. The unsung heroes are those who day-in and day-out get up and go to fulfill the mission to improve prosperity, security, peace, and freedom in the world.

So while one sees all the fancy photographs of people, places, and planes, the reality is that it's just a small sliver of the panoply of the life of a diplomat. The part that is seen.

Gone are the sepia days of men in striped trousers and the notion of cookie pushers in diplomatic outposts around the world whose biggest hardship was worrying about whether there would be any ice for drinks on the veranda that evening. The challenges are daunting. The work is often overwhelming. The hardships are real, and often unspoken. But every hour of every day in every time zone around the world, dedicated diplomats are greeting the new day and embracing the challenges of the 21st century head-on.

The work of the foreign service has the intrinsic reward of a job well done, and doing one's small part in this world. Many feel called, but few are chosen, for this challenging work of changing the world, that in the end changes you.

If I could start over again, I would still choose the foreign service. My own contribution has been meager, but I salute my brave and selfless colleagues scattered around the globe who are doing their part under much more adverse circumstances and little recognition.

So the blogging goes on, sometimes sporadically, and the unseen work of a diplomat continues out of sight. There is a need for talented, honest, loyal, and committed men and women to join the ranks of the foreign service. The best place to start is at careers.state.gov.


As the Persian poet Rumi said in the 1200s:

"There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled.
There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled.
You feel it, don't you?"
— Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi