I found inspiration in reading New Year resolutions posted by fellow readers in Wednesday’s Register. I could relate to several, in particular Lisa Wicoff’s desire to de-clutter. It’s been several years since we’ve seen the top of the ping-pong table in the basement; it’s the perfect catchall place.
All of the comments were thoughtful, reflecting on the precarious nature of this Earthly life and wanting to make the most of it. Not a one mentioned wanting more — possessions or money — as a goal. Jacki Chase wrote: “I’m at the point that things don’t really matter but people and experiences do.” And Deb Tynon listed taking a trip.
That sentiment took me to our Christmas vacation this year. As a family we journeyed to El Salvador, the homeland of my daughter-in-law Violeta. In my brief travels, I’ve found it ironic how some of the most beautiful countries are marred by inept leadership.
El Salvador is blessed with beautiful beaches and lush mountains. Pineapples, coconuts, papaya, lemons, limes and avocados are plentiful. The mountainsides are lush with coffee trees. Sugar cane is now being harvested from the fields.
The climate is temperate year-round by the fact it’s about 950 miles from the equator, compared to our 2,500 miles farther north. Daytime temperatures were in the mid-80s; nights down to mid-60s. It’s the dry season now. From May to October it’s wetter; annual rainfall is an average 72 inches, compared to our relatively arid 38 inches.
To our eyes (and bones), it was paradise.
And perhaps if you never ventured beyond the grounds of a private resort you would be none the wiser.
My daughter-in-law grew up when her country was still divided by war, 1979-1992. Violeta, now 31, witnessed a violence few of us have ever experienced. And though the country is no longer at war, per se, gang violence is rampant as well as widespread government corruption.
The outcome is a people whose majority live in abject poverty while the elite live like royalty. The gross domestic capita divided by the number of Salvadorans is $7,500 per person. In the United States, the same ratio is $52,800.
After a trip to a grocery store to buy provisions for 10, my son Tim remarked we had just spent more than the average family makes in a month. The poverty, the inequities, are more extreme than here in the United States, but certainly are not foreign to us, including here in Iola, and did nothing to dampen our enthusiasm for learning about the country.
Our hope, in fact, is to learn more about El Salvador until it feels like a second home. Acceptance comes from understanding a person, or a country, one step at a time.
Country of two views
