By Eli Beller
The journey is the destination. The end game not necessarily as vital or meaningful as the steps taken to get to achievement and outcome. “Journey” as a verb, a fluid process that reaches out in waves. Such was my experience interning at Taller de José, as I accompanied clients to immigration appointments, interpreted at the Daley Center, or made phone calls to connect client to other services and other organizations. Desired outcome reached or not, the process must be recognized and savored, for outcome would be merely an empty thought without appreciation for the steps taken to get there.
My time interning with Taller de José allowed me to appreciate the journey, to savor each step. Of course unexpected roadblocks emerge in the process. However, together, these unforeseen and mini victories, these complications and then strides forward, allow for a journey that, though perhaps challenging and unknown, has been fulfilling, and upliftingly educational. We are all compañeros or “companions” at Taller de José, as we accompany clients on their individual journeys. We all walk alongside our clients, thus encountering at the same time whatever might be waiting ahead. This is all part of the journey. Whatever presents itself will inform our trajectory, and will guide us forward with greater knowledge, greater insight as to the process.
Taller’s mission and manner of working will guide me as I continue my social work studies and set out to be a practitioner. Soon I will begin my second year of graduate studies and will always keep Taller de José’s ideals in mind, forever grateful for the lessons and experiential learning gained there. While my destination as a social worker continually comes into greater focus with each class taken, my experiences at Taller de José provide a bedrock on which to pave future roads to travel on along my social work journey. So thank you, Taller de José, for being a vital part of this verb.
