1984

This week I wished that I didn’t have internet service.  That I didn’t have to see every news headline that popped up in my Facebook feed and generated anxiety and fear about the health of the land, people and career options I left back home.  I wished that I could just sit on a shady bench in our town square enjoying the warm, dry breeze that blows every day, while reading a book about some fictitious problems that are resolved as soon as I read about the fictitious solution. 

I actually have been trying to spend more time reading in the central square, ignoring all forms of social media. 

Instead I found myself constantly fretting about what I could do to make sure that I wasn’t sinking into a pit of despair with each piece of news that floated across my screen.  I found myself needing to take an extra walk every day to breathe deeply and find the beauty in a warm, sunny January day.  I found myself constantly thinking about what it was that I could do – what I needed to do – to feel like I was working towards the greater common good.  I found myself constantly thinking about Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, and needing to put pen to paper to get all of my thoughts and feelings out of my head. 

This is a bridge that was demolished during the October 2015 hurricane near my town.  Things get destroyed but then they get rebuilt, often better than they were the first time. 

This truck drives all over town every morning spraying water on the streets to keep the dust down. It's not particularly relevant here - I just finally got a picture this week!

Lucky for you, I'm not going to post all of those thoughts and feelings here, but I will share with you my abbreviated list of things that boiled to the top this week.  I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but since it’s still January, we can say this is a list of resolute thoughts (for both me and you).

Here's what's become really clear this week: it’s our duty to talk about climate change.  I spent the first 16 years of my career working on climate change issues, and yes, it's a real thing that is openly discussed here in my Mexican office.  We have a responsibility to push back when people say the small things (or the big things – like environmental regulations) don’t matter or aren’t worth the cost.  I really don’t like to debate people, but I will have a conversation with you about why clean air and water are important for your life and mine.  And why people deserve those things even if they're not wealthy.  We also have a duty to speak up when we see something that’s not right or equitable, even when that's outside of our comfort zone.  And we must keep pushing education – for ourselves and others, and teach people how to analyze the information they're presented with (and why it's important to analyze things). 

Image from Pinterest. 

I’m going to start by reading a book my friend Chris recommended called “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates.  I don’t have any idea what it’s like to be you, and you don’t know what it’s like to be me.  However, we have an obligation to try and understand each other and to recognize that just because we haven’t experienced something directly, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  If you’ve never been subject to oppression, racism, sexism or censorship, well, a) congratulations!, and b) that doesn’t mean that other people haven’t either (even if they look just like you), or that those things aren’t worth standing up for.  It’s our duty to learn about each other and remember that just because something is different, that doesn't automatically make it dangerous.  It’s also our duty to be empathetic and kind to each other.   

I’ve said “duty” a lot, so here's a Calvin & Hobbes cartoon that a friend gave me in college referencing my favorite word, “booty”. Image from Pinterest. 

I recently read an article that said “You don’t have to suffer to make a difference.”  It talked about how humor can have a place in any kind of movement and that it’s ok to have fun while doing serious work.  I think that my most important work right now is telling you about how great the people are here in Mexico.  I get the gift of living here for a short period of time and will do my part to help you learn about people and places that are unfamiliar but really not so different.  And I'll share all the great stories I can and try to make us both laugh, because – as my Aunt Sandy would say – girrrrrrrrrrl, we need as much laughter as we can get. 

I am currently counting down the days until our local Feria del Taco and enjoying the fact that I now think it’s chilly with highs only in the lower 70s.  I received the *best* piece of wisdom ever from a coworker this week, which is a little too colorful to share here, but remind me next time we talk and I'll pass it along.  It's hilarious, I promise.  I can share that the other volunteer in our office told us that she had a "pastel de gata" to share with us (i.e. a cake made of cat) but she really meant a "pastel de nata" (i.e. a cake made with cream).  Thank goodness.