Tomorrow I leave for a 5 day trip to a village called
Teculutan where there is a private hospital for the poor village people. A
group of doctors are coming from the US to do orthopedic surgery and we are
going along to help with translation and whatever else we can. I am very
excited for the experience.
Teculutan where there is a private hospital for the poor village people. A
group of doctors are coming from the US to do orthopedic surgery and we are
going along to help with translation and whatever else we can. I am very
excited for the experience.
In preparation, I went to the store tonight to buy some
small food items: apples, cereal bars, etc. As I pulled my car out of the
parking lot to head home, something hit me. Nothing about the trip to the
grocery store was difficult. I knew where it was. I had a car to get there. I
knew what items were available, where to find them, and what they’re called in
Spanish. I knew what questions the cashier would ask me. I knew where & how
to exchange my empty water jug for a full one. I knew I could get my parking validated
because my purchase total was more than 100Q. As silly as it seems, this was a
monumental event. Needing something, knowing where and how to acquire it, and
doing so without difficulty or confusion is, to me, a sign of independence
& successful adjustment. As we’re growing up, the people around us are
constantly instructing us, guiding us, teaching us, helping us to learn how to
get along in the world as an independent person. As adults, we often take for
granted what we know, and even sometimes try to stay within the comfort of what
we learned about living as children. I am very grateful for the people in this
country who went out of their way to instruct, guide, teach or help me whether
it be explaining a concept or word I don’t understand, or simply see a receipt
in my grocery bag as I approach the parking validation counter & and ask for the receipt instead of money to validate my parking.
small food items: apples, cereal bars, etc. As I pulled my car out of the
parking lot to head home, something hit me. Nothing about the trip to the
grocery store was difficult. I knew where it was. I had a car to get there. I
knew what items were available, where to find them, and what they’re called in
Spanish. I knew what questions the cashier would ask me. I knew where & how
to exchange my empty water jug for a full one. I knew I could get my parking validated
because my purchase total was more than 100Q. As silly as it seems, this was a
monumental event. Needing something, knowing where and how to acquire it, and
doing so without difficulty or confusion is, to me, a sign of independence
& successful adjustment. As we’re growing up, the people around us are
constantly instructing us, guiding us, teaching us, helping us to learn how to
get along in the world as an independent person. As adults, we often take for
granted what we know, and even sometimes try to stay within the comfort of what
we learned about living as children. I am very grateful for the people in this
country who went out of their way to instruct, guide, teach or help me whether
it be explaining a concept or word I don’t understand, or simply see a receipt
in my grocery bag as I approach the parking validation counter & and ask for the receipt instead of money to validate my parking.
I’ve been priveliged to become acquainted with some very
gracious people in Guatemala—people who have turned off the autopilot mode of
their lives to extend a hand of friendship and belonging to me. I hope I either
have been, or can be, that savior for someone else at some point. It has meant
everything to me. I once learned that every human being, regardless of age,
nationality, or other circumstance needs 3 basic things: acceptance, belonging
and control. The people who have taken the time to help me or open their arms
to a stranger like me have granted me, in some way, these 3 things. Without
these people I would be struggling with this adjustment much more than I am.
gracious people in Guatemala—people who have turned off the autopilot mode of
their lives to extend a hand of friendship and belonging to me. I hope I either
have been, or can be, that savior for someone else at some point. It has meant
everything to me. I once learned that every human being, regardless of age,
nationality, or other circumstance needs 3 basic things: acceptance, belonging
and control. The people who have taken the time to help me or open their arms
to a stranger like me have granted me, in some way, these 3 things. Without
these people I would be struggling with this adjustment much more than I am.
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