Dear reader,
Thank you for your interest in what I have to share. May the way ahead be made clearer for you, even if just a little bit more so.
I am writing this on a Sunday morning on the porch of my host family’s house. These times are the best to enjoy the gentle, cool breeze and nearly perfect temperature in the capital of San José. Practically every other moment of living in this city are moments of rushing about: traffic is frustratingly common, making both the sound and odor unpleasant; dogs aggressively bark whenever a stranger walks by, their snouts poking out between metal fences; hundreds of billboards entice the desires of millions of seeking people. Every day, this city is working towards “development.”
During the first month of our program with ICADS (Institute for Central American Development Studies), we focused on this term. Many of our lecturers spoke of slight differences in the way we can develop more as a society. During our own discussions, we would do the same: “Well, because this part of the economic sector is struggling from the effects of this other part of the economic sector, we should enact some governmental programs, legislation, or at least awareness of this problem in order for the people involved to get the help that they deserve.” This is the simple structure of how some of my peers and professors would lead us to an answer through the incredibly fun process of “problematization.”
Yet, what is development? Maybe it is accruing more international investment through smart deals with foreign private companies; opening up job opportunities so that those forced into the informal economy have a way out; expanding roads and buildings throughout the country to make it so much easier for everyone to access the benefits of society. All of these have a foundation in profit, which always creates winners and losers, in some way, shape, or form.
Some of our adventures during this program have shown us a different perspective. The one that sticks out the most is when we visited La Finca Pasiflora (Pasiflora Farm). Wade Moore gave us a tour of the magical and relatively small piece of land that was passed down to him by his father. His family has worked hard to create a flowing, closed-circuit system, one that aligns and does not fight with nature; but beforehand, he spoke to us about flaws within the greater system of society. A French proverb came to his mind, which mentions how laws have good intentions, but when written in ink, in letter, and put into practice, there are always other implications that end up harming others. The system cannot help but make backwards actions in the world: To give a majority of societal benefits to the privileged and less to the poor. Recycling, for instance. Do we really know how it happens? Unless we take a class in university or spend a whole day researching credible articles on the web, many will never know that nearly the whole process requires the use of fossil fuels (cleaning, refining, transporting, etc.). When we humans try to control a given situation, even with good intentions, we still usually end up taking, extracting, and causing more harm than good.
This is not necessarily to say we should turn to anarchy and stop recycling. If we can only take time out of our lives to learn these truths and sit with them, then the healing process can begin. Love is all around. We can open ourselves with sincerity to its knowledge-surpassing nature. Then, the gentle reality settles in.
While making the 20 minute walk to the program site throughout the weeks, I practice counting my blessings. I remember all the work I did to get here, and give thanks for the whole process. I acknowledge the pleasant climate on my skin and realize that I could be shivering and having to avoid patches of ice on the sidewalk. I notice that these experiences, both good and the bad, are not forever: This part of my life will come to an end. Thus, another habit I have taken up has been looking other pedestrians in the eye, smiling, and saying, “Buenos días,” or “Buenas tardes.” I can testify that nearly everyone answers back with a genuine smile on their face–something I thoroughly enjoy about Latin culture–which always fuels me as I head into another seven hour day of lectures and Spanish class.
Through inward searching, I have seen a different kind of development, one where the focus is not profit, but true sustainability, community, longevity, and life. All else is vanity–so fragile that it can be blown away by one strong current of wind.
This is a gift because it is not of me. To live in a collective that endures, we must be selfless. How? In my experience, it occurs when I sit without distractions with the openness to receive. I can then listen to what the wind and the birds have to say, feel the root of this pain in my neck, or see that many of my desires in this life are ephemeral. We must see the problems in front of us and search for the truth within them, and only then can we choose the right way forward. With this mindset, I have felt at times how it can be useless to “problematize.” We have been given this short life on earth. Why use it in a manner that only feeds into the system? Why not use it for the betterment of all, for protecting nature by living within it while following the rules given from above?
These directives include meekness, long-suffering, and a diligence to keep the oneness of the Spirit. Through the process of giving more of ourselves to the divine, we can be united in the bond of peace. Have faith, reader. There is something out there worth far more than the money you can receive from this fancy degree, than the suburban house or downtown apartment you can buy. Each of us has a place, a process to live through, that shows us how to be teachers, guides, shepherds, or something greater.
May this path’s challenges and joys be a blessing to you, a breath of fresh air. May you follow it through to the end.
With grace,
Mason
