Today I was walking to the dollar store and thinking about how I have no friends here. And its starting to get to me. I don't have any friends to just call up when I want something to do.... I have my roomates and I have Josue, and lets face it, you can't talk girl talk with your boyfriend. If I don't take a nap in the afternoons after work, then I am literally sitting around searching for things to do. I unfortunately don't know my way around this humongous city and can't get myself out of santa fe without the help of someone and the one and only coffee shop in our neighborhood is NEVER OPEN (literally I have attempted going like 5 times and its always closed). Believe it or not cleaning tends to take up much of my time here because it turns out there is always some part of our house that is dirty. (I know Katie and Mary must totally hate me right now or you don't believe me, but really Im pretty clean here. weird.) Anyway, after sitting for 2 hours wondering if Josue was actually going to come over and debating starting my second book in the last week... I decided it was time to go run some errands.
I got to the dollar store and was walking around when I was tapped on the leg by one of the girls that goes to the Guarderia. As she looked up and smiled at me with her teary eyes and runny nose, I instantly remembered being told that her mom works at that dollar store. I asked her where her mom was and she pointed a couple aisles over to where she was stacking shelves. I remembered that she didn't show up that day and she nodded in confirmation that she was sick. As she lingered around me not talking as I was in line, I remembered her story. That she was living with a single mom who just moved into the city from the country, and how her and her mom just moved out of a family members house where the little girl was abused and neglected by being locked in her room all day long and not being let out to eat or use the washroom. She barely talks and has trouble controlling her bladder frequently. Apparently when she is not in school she sits and plays in the aisles of the dollar store where her mom works. Just as I was feeling sorry for myself not having any friends, I was reminded of how unfortunate this world really is. I was reminded why I am here and that my problems are nothing compared to the ones that many suffer.
Many people in my neighborhood have been without water from anywhere from 3 weeks to over 2 months. They were not notified before the water went out and had to protest in the streets and stop traffic in order to be told why the water was not on. -Apparently a water pipe is being fixed.- For some with money, this is an inconvience, but in my neighborhood it is rare that people have extra money to spend on a necessity of life. I can't help but think how something like that would never happen without a huge fuss in the U.S. and how if it did happen it probably wouldn't be off for more than a day or two. Although who knows, it may be happening in underprivleged neighborhoods there too and being kept quiet.
Another thing that has been bothering me is the education system. I cannot claim that I am well educated about the Mexican education system. I support everything that the Guarderia does and think it is a great school. However, many of the public high schools, just as many inner city high schools in the U.S., are failing to give the students and opportunity to succeed. A huge strike was held by high school teachers that has lasted a good period of time, (maybe a month or two?), and I just found out that after the teachers were given what they wanted they still did not return to school. What they are doing, I am not sure. And students have been out of school for months, just waiting to go back, whenever the school officials feel like having that happen.
These are the types of injustices that constantly wake me up. Make me call for change. Not only in Mexico but in the United States too. These are the types of stories that show me how lucky I was to have a good family and great opportunities, and to fight for everyone to have them too.
Anyway, here are my thoughts for the day that I thought I would share. Still searching for my place in all of this.
All my Love.
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:-) This made me smile alot. Miss you.
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