So, since my last post, I have been to Guatemala and back.
I almost didn't have anything to write about...not because nothing happened, but because there are times that you just can describe how you feel about something. But I'll try.
I spent 7 awesome days working in and around San Pedro la Laguna, in rural Guatemala. In order to get to San Pedro, you take a plane to Guatemala City, a taxi ride through the mountains to a town called Panajachel (this takes about 3 hours) and then a boat across Lake Atitlan. I went to Guatemala in 2008 as a student, and this time, I went as a therapist. We worked at a school/center for children with disabilities in San Juan la Laguna called Centro Maya. While there, we treated the children, painted the sparse cinderblock walls with a colorful mural, and generally helped out in any way we could.
Below: Danny's concept and genius & everyone's sweat---the mural
We also had the opportunities to visit other programs around the Lake Atitlan region: Hospitalito and La Puerta Abierto in Santiago, and LifeSchool in Panajachel. When I was a student, my friend Cheryl (also a student) worked with the kids at LifeSchool by teaching some general fitness stuff and playing games as well as donated jump ropes. This year, she went back with the students (as a therapist now) to work with the kids at LifeSchool again. Here's a pic:
Additionally, we did home visits in nearby towns such as San Juan and San Pablo. One of the visits I went on was in a town called Panabar, and when one of the students asked our guide about the road, asking "What's after this?" she answered, "Jungle."
Needless to say, Panabar is "out there."
There is something very jarring and eye-opening about removing yourself from the familiar. Being in Guatemala puts life into perspective. While there is some commerce, the majority of homes these rural towns are very humble; dirt or rock floors, very little modern convenience. Life is simpler here; family is paramount, everyone is hard-working, the cost of living is low. Many people make their money selling homemade goods on the streets, such as bread or crafts, and selling them for very low prices. One interesting fact to note about the people in these towns, however, is...
THEY. ARE. HAPPY.
Their ability to keep their priorities in order is a lesson that is valuable for everyone to learn...and one that is easy to forget if you've been away too long. In a world where my job as a physical therapist also involves reimbursement, productivity, documentation, and to-do lists, in Guatemala, I was paid in other ways. One family cooked a meal for myself and two students and had us eat with them in their home. Many families simply gave a smile and said thank you. There is a schedule: but its flexible. If the child that needs to be treated is busy, well, Guat-ever. Go eat some Guacamole and try again later. Need to get to the next pueblo? Get a truck.
The children in the villages really get excited when tourists "extranjos" show up. We come bearing silly gifts; headbands, small toys, silly bands. These children were thrilled to get a small gift. They are not jaded by SpongeBob, not "too cool" for simple fun, and grateful for what they are given.
I am grateful to have gone back myself. I was able to re-united with some of the most fantastic people on the planet...the "chaperones" for this trip, who were also on my first trip with me. Here they are. "Chaperoning."
Wendy and Cheryl were students with me that now return to Guatemala has therapists. Andrea was a chaperone when I went as a student, and Eric is a very talented stone mason who was involved in several projects. One of which was building a wheelchair ramp for Manuel (below) to access his shower.
Here's Rob and Irv helping Eric with the ramp project...
Small things can make such a big difference.
And I think that's the point. Eric said at one point that he comes to Guatemala to get "centered." I completely agree. Sometimes, when life feels heavy and encumbered with tons of "stuff", its nice to go somewhere where the gestures and the little things matter.
And when you see what really matters firsthand, its difficult to sweat the small stuff.
