QUOTE(safly @ Mar 15 2006, 12:53 AM)
I can somewhat agree with you. But there is just something innocent about how they survive with what they have and DON'T KNOW what they don't have. A certain BLISS about it all. They have it all when their health is good, their family is with them and their beliefs and structure are a part of their daily lives. I am almost 100% SURE that all of that innocence would be lost if they lived like ordinary "poor" Americans. These people know how to smile and don't care for much material things. When I went to visit relatives in Mexico as a kid, I knew how much STUFF was given to me in the U.S., and how much less others over there had. But at the end of the day, we would still sit around and eat and play with no care for material things that shaped our daily lives or DISTRACTIONS.
There is just something very INNOCENT and TRUE in your photos. I guess I am one who does see the blessings in these photos, and it has nothing to do with what they are wearing or what roof is over their heads and running water or not.
THIS is a culture, and if they were shipped over to some sweatshop in NYC or CA. IT WOULD ALL BE LOST.
They certainly don't look as if they were gravely malnourished. And they don't look as if they just chowed down at some PIZZA HUT lunch buffet either.
Perhaps we should try a missionary trip to Somalia, and actually SEE what I am saying.
I agree with you. Most people in Guatemala have that innocence and true happiness that most Americans don't have (because our fast culture tells us we have to have everything before we can be happy). It's a greater shock returning to the U.S. after traveling abroad and wondering... how can people survive without 'xyz' and still be happy? That's even true after living in Europe and recently returning back to Texas!
If you want to see something disturbing that will change they way you view life, visit the garbage dumps in Guatemala City (you can see it right before you land at the airport). We walked down into the canyon-turned-garbage dump where the poorest of the poor dig through garbage day after day to find food and things they can recyle for money. Children don't go to school to help their families in the dump. True despair and hopelessness that I cannot describe! On some of the organised trips we helped feed the people in the dump, teach English classes to students and adults, provide medicine and medical clinics, work with troubled teens who were learning a trade, and help at local churches. In every situation I received genuine kindness and thankfulness.
What the government of Guatemala has done to the poor people and rich culture are shameful, but there are a lot of people and organisations out there helping in any way they can. Whether it is through religion or education or simple encouragement. It's about giving the people hope. And when the people have hope in their future, their happiness is greater than anything money can buy. The same is true in helping the people in your own neighborhood in the U.S. The results of my Guatemala experiences are trying to apply that 'simple' happiness and gratitude to my own life in the U.S.
Anyway, those are a few of the thoughts that have been running through my head, and I could go on and on about my experiences there. I don't want this to become a depressing topic. The Antigua photos just reminded me of this all over again. Sorry for getting off track!
Guatemala is a beautiful country with very warm and welcoming people and a fascinating culture in a state of contrast. Visit if you haven't been yet! There are even McDonald's and big-box retail if you miss home!
