Some Stories and Quotes

In my journal, I often find myself documenting vignettes--- seemingly small but personally significant experiences. I decided to share a couple of them here, with the hope that they may illuminate a bit more what life is like here:

In the pulperia by the soccer field, the main town hang out, one of the ways to pass the time (besides the usual chatting among neighbors) is by playing one of the coin slot machines where you put in 15 cents or so and then play some mindless game. I in no way endorse this activity, which I believe is tantamount to throwing one’s money away. As I explain to anyone that will listen: I would rather spend my money on something concrete, like food, than gamble it away on the off chance of winning. Regardless, one day one of the kids whose family owns the pulperia (I’ve talked about this family before—they have 8 kids who are all really great-- one of my favorite families in town) was playing and won the equivalent of a couple dollars. Needless to say, he was ecstatic (that much money can go a long way in a pulperia with tons of 5¢ and 10¢ candies). Immediately after the change spouted out of the machine, he proceeded to ask everyone in the store, which was a few of his brothers and sisters as well as myself, what we wanted from the pulperia, because he was going to treat us. I was overwhelmed by the fact that his immediate reaction was not to get something big for himself, but instead literally “share the wealth.” At first I felt uncomfortable asking for something, but I quickly realized it was a matter of pride on his part; he was really happy to be able to do this. I can honestly say I will never forget the innate generosity that was revealed on that day.

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned the fact that Ticos are really into their gardens. Con razón, as the tropical flowers that bloom all over the place are absolutely beautiful, but it always cracks me up that if there is ever a lull in conversation when I am visiting someone, bringing up flowers is a fool-proof conversation starter. However one day I had the realization that this whole flower business has much more significance than meets the eye. I was visiting the daughter of my old friend, Flora, when the subject of flowers came up. This is a woman who grew up with 15 siblings, who has worked hard her entire life raising 3 kids, picking coffee year after year to try to get a bit ahead. She explained to me that tending to her garden is something that, despite the trials and tribulations of life, makes her truly happy. She can see a concrete cause and effect in the care and patience that goes into tending the flowers and the beauty that results from this hard work. It is a point of pride and the epitome of a “labor of love” caring for flowers. Many women in my town have to put up with a lot of “stuff” (i.e. lack of respect and appreciation on the part of husbands and children for tireless efforts cooking, cleaning, and general up- keep of the household, issues such as alcoholism and abuse, all of which comes under the umbrella of the machista culture that dominates Latin America. I want to be clear that while these issues are not seen in every family, they are some examples of the issues facing women in rural Costa Rica and, I venture to say, world-wide). None the less, I had never thought about it before that for them, caring for their flowers is a joyful time-out from life that provides an aesthetically pleasing outcome, (which, in turn, provides fodder for conversation when people come to visit!).

I have also kept meaningful quotes from books, magazines, and newspaper articles that I have read during the past year and a 1/2. Here are some I’d like to share with you all:

“It might have been tempting to remember Guineau as an experience, the last hoorah of my youth, but it never has been and never will be. It’s a place, like any other, with people who cannot be captured in a single photo. Time can’t be stopped. We are, all of us, constantly moving forward, along roads full of potholes and curves and red dust so thick we can’t always see exactly where we’re headed.”
-Annie Mascorro, PCV Guineau ‘00-‘02

“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life-- they feed the soul. When writers make us shake our heads with the exactness of their prose and their truths and even make us laugh about ourselves or life, our buoyance is restored. We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It’s like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can’t stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”
-Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

“Maybe this is what we get in life, a few great loves: loves that return us to ourselves when we need it most. And maybe some of those loves aren’t people, but places—real and adopted homes—that fill us up with light and energy and hope at moments when we feel especially tired or lost. That is the beauty of love in all its forms. We don’t know when or how it is going to save us.”
-Laura Dave, Modern Love 1.20.08

“When it comes to life, we spin our own yarn, and where we end up is really, in fact, where we always intended to be.”
-Julia Glass, Three June

“You can’t solve all the problems of the world, but each day you can do something. A certain peace comes from doing what you feel you should be doing.”
-Jane Goodall