Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Real Life


Being in a developing country has definitely thrown my life into rather sharp focus. I think somewhere I developed the ability to not really see poverty. Maybe it's an American coping mechanism that I absorbed with my Cosby Show and Halloween candy. Maybe it's just me avoiding the inevitable downer that lives of struggle can bring. But, lately there have been times when it's really thrown in my face... and then it's hard to miss.

I could describe some scenes (and Bryce thinks I'm a wimp for deciding not to) but somehow that seems disloyal when what I also see is that this country is totally upwardly mobile. It's forward thinking. It's developing.

This creates some interesting contrasts. Like the farmer riding his water buffalo through the rice paddy while talking on his cell phone. Or the new buildings going up all over, mostly through the physical labor of wiry men with carrying tons bricks up a ton of stairs. And the small time fruit vendor, a woman with two huge baskets full of pomelos on the back of her rickety bike, who is passed on the the street by a shiny new BMW SUV (honking wildly, of course). These are bright contrasts with the marginal living we frequently see (and sometimes experience vicariously through our hosts).

At risk of sounding trite I recognize the contrast to my own situation in life and find myself in awe of the abundance.

2 comments:

Jo Lynn said...

Wow, I loved this post. I feel similar after Casey and I watched Hotel Rwanda. I can't remember crying so hard and for so long. I felt so ungrateful for all the blessing which I enjoy on a daily basis and felt horrible after reflecting upon some of my complaints. After seeing that movie I realized how good I have it and my eyes were truly opened to what is going on around us. I can only imagine you feeling the same way. It took awhile to feel joy again after pondering of so much of the bad that goes on in this world.
Thanks for sharing this...

{Erica} said...

Loved this post and how it was written.

I just know that I wouldn't be able to resist capturing on film the contrasts that you see.

It's quite the overwhelm of emotions (shock, humility, gratitude, and awe) when you're smacked in the face with the reality of poverty.

The life lessons your kids are seeing and experiencing is something I truly envy.

thanks for the reminder...