The Important Things

Warning: this moment of reflection came to me while in the cold shower. It is cliché and simple, but I can’t stop thinking about it ever since my change in scenery.

I need to meet my program group at the park tomorrow instead of the school. The park is in the opposite direction and I haven’t been to this area yet. There is no iPhone in my pocket/purse, which will provide the answers at my fingertips, so how do I navigate the world? There is no access to Google or Mapquest and Jebus knows I can’t figure it out on my own. So I ask. My host dad drew me a map. People become your resources. Human interaction replaces technology.

I eat at least 2 fresh fruits every day, and “meriendas” from scratch, made with love and care. Baby Ayllen (correct spelling) gets thousands of “besos”, and has just 3 little toys. Each volunteer has learned more from their families than they could from class. We’ve had more conversations about food and our families than politics and religion. Of course, there are bad people out there too, but our families and neighbors watch out for us. We venture out of our safety net in the morning, each to his own job, and regroup and eat together, then sit at the table for hours, together. The birds sing a different song here. It is in these circumstances that it is easier to remember what’s important. For example, in a cold shower, you quickly realize which parts are the most important to clean. (My recommendation: airplane shower- under the wings and the rudder.)

Obviously, the third world has its pitfalls but I can’t help but wonder how much better off we’d be if we were all “underdeveloped”. It can be a pure and simple life. In an ideal world.

Thank you for reading. And thank you for caring about the important things.

Chels