On our way out of Nicaragua, I took the opportunity to interview myself. Here are the results:
I: How does it feel to be leaving Nicaragua after living and working on a remote island community for 7 months?
MYSELF: I have an odd mixture of feelings at this moment, as I sit in the Managua airport waiting to board a flight to the United States. Mostly, I am savoring a rich collection of memories from my experience here. I am also cultivating resolve to make good use of the lessons I have learned going forward. And of course, I am feeling sadness to be leaving a beautiful place and trepidation over the prospect of an unknown future in what I fear may seem like an over-corporatized and soulless world.
I: Will you share some of your memories?
MYSELF: Sure – I saw many fleeting glimpses into the psyche of the human condition through my association with our co-workers. I’ll pick two, but first I need to say something about “Pura Vida.” The term “Pura Vida” was used often and it means, literally, Pure Life as in the Good Life or life without all the bullshit. “Pura Vida” is life lived close to the beauty of nature with family, good friends and lots of time to appreciate it all. While “Pura Vida” was an ideal, getting there was often an ordeal.
My first story concerns a hard working and cheerful woman who worked with us 6 days a week doing a little bit of everything. One day I noticed her smile was strained and found out that she was suffering from pain in her ear. Over the next couple of days, the full story came out and I was amazed that she had been able to function in any capacity, much less come to work every day and then return home to care for her household. (continued below in “More…”)
Sadly, the “More” section vanished when our web hoster accidentally began deleting our Trouts Farm site.
