There is a certain peace that comes along when you realize that you really don't need the things that you think you do. Like electricity. What a beautiful thing to not have electricity for 30 hours. At first, my reaction was not something that I am proud of. I didn't want to take a shower in the dark. I didn't want to not be able to power my computer that I so lovingly use all the time here (not by choice). I wanted to be able to toast my bread in the morning. I wanted to open the fridge and not be worried about keeping it open longer than a few seconds because the cold air was seeping out.
The crazy thing about this particular situation is that after the initial reaction that I had (in the wrong mentality), I was able to see the complete beauty in it all. The night was much quieter, like everyone succumbed to the darkness and went home instead of staying out and playing music. The dinner we had was much more personal when lit by candles and flashlight. It was intimate in a way. I was able to toast my toast on the stove, which was lit by match and gas, and I ended up creating this french toast breakfast thing, that I never would have otherwise. My brain went straight to thinking "I have food to cook with, what a beautiful thing." It also made me extremely grateful to have running water to take a shower with, even though the power was out.
I have seen people here make the best of everything they have day in and day out, and they have taught me what it is to appreciate everything that you have from the smallest thing to the biggest.
Going without Internet these past 3 days has also taught me that it is not something that I need. I don't need to have my phone in my hand every second, scrolling through status posts instead of engaging with the people around me. The best person you can be is the one that is the most present. I am saying this as I am writing on the computer right now, using the Internet, with the electricity working, so it is easy to say this with these particular comforts at hand, but honestly, now that I know what life is like without them, I have diminished their value. They are a wonderful gift, don't get me wrong, but life is incredibly beautiful without them.
Take a moment to think about the person you are with others. Are you on your phone all of the time? Are you distracted? I know that I can be. Let's be the people who are present with one another and in tune to each others needs. Lets focus on building a community that is fully connected with one another. I promise that I will work on it as well. I do not want to be the generation defined by the 'selfie' with my nose in a screen all of the time.
Love you all,
Kim
No Internet this past weekend in Cap Haitian (a city that is about 3 hours away from where I am living now; we went there to visit friends), but we did have chickens...and a camera...and this guy. Doesn't he look exactly like the rooster from Looney Tunes? And he was HUGE. This picture does not do him justice. He was bigger than the dogs on the compound, and came up mid thigh on me. The first time that I saw him I thought that he would come up to me speaking in a deep southern accent "I...I do declare...".
These are the girls I spent the weekend with. No cell service or Internet for me, but very good conversation and company. This was taken at a restaurant called La Kay
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