Tag Archives: Guatemala

Guatemala—Observations (continued)

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In many ways, people seem to worry less here. I see a family of 4 riding one motorcycle: the 2 year old straddling the gas tank in front of the driver followed by the 4 year old behind the driver with arms wrapped around the driver and a 4th person in the back—no helmets!

Time spent in the coffee shop or sitting outside talking seems to lack the schedule that my normal life puts on these things.

After dinner we retire to the hallway outside the eating hall to pay Chinese checkers or cards.

I’ve not met a single person that has seemed stressed; rather more of the opposite. Relaxed, friendly, and just present in the moment.

One of my many faults is thinking too far ahead, contingency planning and over thinking things. Observing Guatemalans teaches you that being present in this moment with this person in this conversation are what is most important.

Guatemala 2024–day 2

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When I was a kid my father would invite veterinary students over to our house for dinner, especially international students who had to stay in Ames when everyone else went home.

I experienced the same hospitality when My parents, my sister, and I lived in Scotland—we were often the guests in the home of Ken Hosie, one of Dad’s co-workers.

Today we ventured out of the monestary where my son is living to go to his local coffee shop. It’s a good mile away, full of the hustle and bustle of the locals headed to their destinations in cars and motorcycles beeping their horns and dodging each other like that old game called Frogger.

Peyton introduced me to the owner, the barista, the waitress and the owner’s son named Tony. Everyone knew him.

Tony spent some time taking to us and I thanked him for welcoming Peyton into their “home”. He said, “that’s just what you do”. He went on to explain that several years ago he spent time in another country and no one really talked to him and he had no friends.

Paying it forward is Tony’s approach.

We can all ask ourselves how much out of our way have we gone for people visiting our country—I bet we all could do more.

Thank you Dad, Ken Hosie, and Tony for showing us the way.

She Was a Strong Force

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(May 2024 update—this blog was previously in draft mode)

This week, Elizabeth, a neighbor from my youth, reached out to me to inform me of the passing of her mother, and her desire to contact my father to tell him the news. We exchanged messages and I felt a common bond with her as this week marked the passing of my mother 23 years ago.

“She was a strong force,” Elizabeth said about my mother.

When someone I know experiences a recent loss of a parent, I reflect back to my journey over the 23 years and think of it differently now than I had before.

No, she is a strong force.

I’m the carrier of her traits, her language, her mannerisms. This week I said, “you snooze you lose”, “get over it”, and “can’t get fat on a green bean” channeled from my inner Shirley.

My sons never met her. One asked today what she was like. An easy question, a complicated answer. She taught me to be self-reliant, gave me independence, and she loved me.

It was different then. We didn’t have constant contact about my whereabouts (just come home when the streetlights come on) or intervention when a neighbor kid pushed me down (you’ll get over it) or pay for that broken window at the school when I hit that home run (you will go into the principal’s office tomorrow and fess up).

But I think that was better in many ways. Life lessons that influence you, that you pass on in some way in your own life’s journey to those that you love.

Miss you mom.

Guatemala 2024

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I’ve been on a blog hiatus for a long time. Many excuses, too many to count. Initially in my blogging days I don’t think I understood my purpose in creating content. I fell for the allure of a comment here or there, but I wasn’t until later that I realized it was also a creative outlet for me. I then fell into the trap of just simply not having much of a creative outlet, especially after the loss of my father in 2023.

Today, I arrived in Guatemala to visit my son who is working for the Benedictine Volunteer Corps (BVC). He and a driver drove 4 hours to pick me up at the airport and we drove 4 hours to where he is living.

I decided to use the time here to reflect and will try a few posts to dip my toe back into the creative pond.

Today Mario, the driver, was the inspiration. He loves what he does and he has an incredibly important job to keep people in his charge safe. But he makes it fun, and engaging. There was conversation, jokes, and stories. We were taking a detour in pretty remote gravel roads and he pretended he was just blindly following another car as if he was lost to get a reaction out of me.

It was fun. I concluded with my son that I need to enjoy things more often.

Thanks for modeling that Mario. Chicken Billboard taken by me from Mario’s car.