Being flexible has been a key part of my last six weeks here. Power outages, rain cancellations, and technical difficulties are all part of the routine. We really experienced this last week when our micro (our fond nickname for the micro bus we drive around, essentially a giant van) was taken for repairs for three days. It had been sporadically taken every Wednesday for the past three weeks, but three days of programs without a micros was going to be interesting.
We definitely managed, there was a lot more use of caponeras (motorcycle taxis, shoutout to Francisco and Enrique for fielding our incessant calls) and a lot more walking. The only real nuisance about walking is the heat and occasionally the honking of passing vehicles who are bemused at a line of gringos making their way to kilometer 14.5. To throw another wrench into things, our printer broke as well. Some of us tried our hand at fixing it (I took a screwdriver to it with no luck) but eventually our bosses' fiance Tim saved us from a printer-less existence.
Maneuvering around our usual schedules without a couple usual comforts was definitely difficult, but when I thought about it more, we've really been doing that since we got here. Further, it really doesn't interrupt our days or make anything impossible: it's just change and it's something we all adapted to. No one wished for anything to break, and we certainly didn't enjoy it, but we were still able to find the silver lining of walking in mid-day heat or not being able to print. There are even other things that I now live without and have barely noticed. Hot water for example. I used to never take cold showers, and now it's the most refreshing part of my day. No workout equipment for classes or for my own workouts has made me more creative and flexible. No TV has lead to countless card games, pool days, and one (but hopefully more to come) night spent on the roof.
There are definitely times when doing without is inadequate, and that's partially why I'm here doing the work that I am. Going without basic needs is when one draws the line between enlightening simplicity and a lack of necessary resources.
But amidst my frustration of not being able to print (of which there was plenty) or of walking up the steep hills of our neighborhood for the third time that day, I did become more flexible. My programs wouldn't get cancelled because I couldn't drive to them. The number of people wanting to learning English didn't diminish because I couldn't print worksheets for them. That was a very good lesson for me. People in these communities look forward to our programs no matter what. Whether I print a crossword for each student in my public school class, or hand write my agenda on printer paper. Whether I have plenty of patient intake sheets at clinic or have to hurriedly hand make some in my down time. Whether I'm dripping sweat walking down the carretera or blasting the AC in the micro, the work goes on, the programs go on, and life here goes on. Different resources doesn't make this work any less possible and certainly doesn't make it less necessary.
These things seem minuscule to reflect on, and I know not all daily inconveniences have lessons hidden in them. But it was just another dose of a reality for me about what matters (and how good air conditioning feels). The copier has been acting up lately so hopefully I'll get some wisdom out of that too.
Comments
Post a Comment