When Is Life Really Simple?

Jueves, 1 de abril, 2010

Every morning I thank God for hot water in my shower.  And then I revel in its warmth that heats me to my core. 

The weather here has been delightful:  mild during the days and mild at night.  The rising sun shines into our room through our large bank of three windows, warming us.  In the afternoon, when sometimes it’s almost too warm, our room is cool.  At night, we go to bed early and stay warm under the covers together.

There is no heat in the hotel, so when our room is cold, we put on more clothing.  It’s a concept that we’ve not utilized much at home in Texas. 

Life seems relatively simple here.  I don’t have to cook; I don’t have to clean.  But I do have to work on my communication skills in Spanish; I do have to prepare for my driver’s license exam; I do have to think through my classes that I will soon be giving in English.  It’s nice to be able to walk to most everything I need and do.  And when the car is working and reliable, we will be able to drive on weekend trips to nearby mountains and waterfalls and lakes.

Not everybody who lives here has such a simple life.  Isabel is a single mom whose mother has incurable cancer.  Victoria is doing pretty well, but often, her medication is not strong enough for her pain.  Recently, she made a trip to the emergency room of the hospital across the street, only to find there were no available beds for her to stay in so she received a different medication and was sent home.  Isabel’s son is a handful.  Unfortunately, she is at work until 4:00 p.m., leaving him alone with his grandmother after school ends around noon.  He does not always listen to his grandmother’s instructions.

Paulina holds down two jobs (one as an elementary school teacher and another as a hotel employee) in addition to living in the hotel with her young daughter to make ends meet.  She is often very tired by the end of the day when patience is harder to come by.

Jairo manages both the hotel and a restaurant about five blocks away.  He has good staff under him that take care of daily operations, but he only has a maximum of 24 hours a day to make it all work.  In addition, because of his kind heart, he is often pulled in different directions helping others.  His biggest challenge is making the two businesses profitable so he can both pay his staff and continue to improve what a few years ago was a hotel that had been let run down.

I sometimes see indigenous women on nearby streets who appear to be homeless.  They are often carrying heavy burdens.  Some beg for money; others sell candies, or grapes, or woven items.  For change and dollar bills, they somehow eek out a living.  And I wonder how the merchants with families in the mercados can make a living selling inexpensive items to Otavalo residents and to tourists.

I have learned that most people here work 6 days a week.  Sunday the parks are filled with people playing soccer or volleyball, talking with friends or lovers, riding horses (at least at one park), playing with their children on playground equipment.

Yet, this doesn’t really sound a lot different than the lives people live back in the United States.  Many are unemployed or underemployed there.  Families have troubles and pain and sorrows.  Sometimes help is close by; other times it is not.  There are homeless people begging at street corners in the U.S. also.

It appears that for most of us, what we are given in the way of a life, we accept and go about our business.  For some of us, it is easier; for some, it seems harder.  Yet, whether one has a life of ease or hardship, there are times of difficulty. 

The people here in Ecuador laugh a lot.  The pressures at the job seem less than in the United States.  Folks talk to each other and share stories.  Many people are merchants and don’t answer to a boss.  Family and friends are important and it seems that people take time to spend together and to laugh even though they work 6 or 7 days a week.  We are glad we are here and hope we can always remember the importance of the relationships we have with others and to take time to laugh.

Park across the street from the hotel at sunset.

--Marilyn Cooper