I sat in front of Carlos' house today. I waited for him to grab something from his house and hop back in the truck. In the car I counted the days I have left in El Salvador on one hand while the hot sun beat down on my chest. As I was sitting there I thought that I could grow to love this sun. Even though it felt it heavy on my body, like a weight it, was not uncomfortable. It was rather comforting almost like a boyfriend or a girlfriend, warm and steady at my side. Carlos jumped back in the car after a few moments and broke my moment with nature and we headed to downtown Caluco to pick up Brittanie.
There is only room for one person in the truck so when Brittanie came I had to hop in the back, but I prefer riding in the back of the truck anyways. The floor of the truck has a large hole at the base of the shifter that lets in tons of exhaust, I can breathe easier in the back. The hole in the floor board of Carlos' truck reminds me of my brother's cars, always in a state of disrepair. Carlos' truck isn't like this on purpose though or because he just hasn't gotten around to fixing it's falling apart because he doesn't have the means to put it back together. People here definitely live by the idea of waste not want not.
In the back of the truck the breeze that brushes my cheeks is hot and salty but it is refreshing all the same. As a child I used to ride my horses as fast as I could or hop on an ATV just to feel the breeze on my face. Riding in the back of the truck brings back good memories of days that were easier. Even though riding in the back of a truck is a novelty for me now that I am older it is the reality for the people of El Salvador. To the Salvadorians it doesn't signify easier times it signifies the struggle of getting to work, the mess of a wind tossed hair-do and lack of choices. Here people don't ride in the back of a truck nestled between sacks of corn and empty crates with their 6 month old babies in their arms because they want to they do it because they have to.
The last few days have been spectacular and eyeopening. The people who have been given the responsibility to watch Brittanie and I have loosened their grip a bit. I can almost guarantee you this is not on purpose but it is nice all the same. In the last few days some of the luxuries that have been lavished on Brittanie and I, such as riding in an air conditioned car, have fallen away. We wash our own clothes by hand now, we walked by ourselves more than two blocks and we're able to talk to people that have not been handpicked and found to be trustworthy. The last few days have given me the clearest picture of El Salvador. As much as I don't like what I see, poverty, crime and unfulfilled dreams, this clearer picture has absolutely captivated my attention. I wish I had more time to continue to decipher it.
There is only room for one person in the truck so when Brittanie came I had to hop in the back, but I prefer riding in the back of the truck anyways. The floor of the truck has a large hole at the base of the shifter that lets in tons of exhaust, I can breathe easier in the back. The hole in the floor board of Carlos' truck reminds me of my brother's cars, always in a state of disrepair. Carlos' truck isn't like this on purpose though or because he just hasn't gotten around to fixing it's falling apart because he doesn't have the means to put it back together. People here definitely live by the idea of waste not want not.
In the back of the truck the breeze that brushes my cheeks is hot and salty but it is refreshing all the same. As a child I used to ride my horses as fast as I could or hop on an ATV just to feel the breeze on my face. Riding in the back of the truck brings back good memories of days that were easier. Even though riding in the back of a truck is a novelty for me now that I am older it is the reality for the people of El Salvador. To the Salvadorians it doesn't signify easier times it signifies the struggle of getting to work, the mess of a wind tossed hair-do and lack of choices. Here people don't ride in the back of a truck nestled between sacks of corn and empty crates with their 6 month old babies in their arms because they want to they do it because they have to.
The last few days have been spectacular and eyeopening. The people who have been given the responsibility to watch Brittanie and I have loosened their grip a bit. I can almost guarantee you this is not on purpose but it is nice all the same. In the last few days some of the luxuries that have been lavished on Brittanie and I, such as riding in an air conditioned car, have fallen away. We wash our own clothes by hand now, we walked by ourselves more than two blocks and we're able to talk to people that have not been handpicked and found to be trustworthy. The last few days have given me the clearest picture of El Salvador. As much as I don't like what I see, poverty, crime and unfulfilled dreams, this clearer picture has absolutely captivated my attention. I wish I had more time to continue to decipher it.
No comments:
Post a Comment