Don't Cry for Me Colombia

It was a sad day leaving Colombia and I was pushing my time to the maximum.

Seconds and minutes were passing and I was shopping or talking to someone or taking my sweet time at breakfast.  I said bye to all the staff as my usual routine. The front desk was the most difficult to leave and the breakfast staff-just adored them. The taxi had come on time as I was prepared to miss my flight. If I did, would it be so bad?  I guess staying at a fantastic hotel helps anyone's interpretation of a city, but this city is spectacular: great shopping, great nightlife , fun and good looking people, great energy, great dancing, excellent food. It's a country that I knew I would love in a continent that ranks in my heart as one of the best. It's a place to visit again and again and enjoy yourself and immerse in the culture.




So happy to make this trip for my 30th birthday.

Eating sushi, Peruvian food, and typical food for breakfast-I did not get a chance to eat at the pricey Mondongo's. It's basically a pricier version of local food you can have half price. The waiters I made friends with were waiting for me, but I just ran out of time. Literally I was going around the hotel saying bye to all the staff- making my usual runs. Going around so fast that I misplaced my Colombia gold leaf necklace I bought in the gift shop- quite expensive. I left on a positive note and was thankful for spending my 30th birthday in Medellin. 

God bless Medellin, Colombia! Te amo!!!

 

God bless Medellin, Colombia! Te amo!!!

 

Angel on my Shoulder

When I would leave my hotel, it would usually be daylight. It was not recommended to go out at night because it was "unsafe" for tourists. There was nothing to prove this to be true so I would occasionally walk at night.  Usually, this would be a short distance to the park to get some food, okay get a $1 slice of pizza. I was addicted and just love the fact it was $1 and so fresh and tasty. 

When I walked around the fountain area, I saw this boy on a bike in the distance. When I walked home, I again saw this boy on a bike following behind.  The last day, I saw this boy walking on foot near my hotel. 
Of course, this could have been coincidental as this boy looked super innocent.

He said, "Hello" with a huge smile.
He had to be about 16 years old. 

I said in a non-confrontational way
"I see you often around here."

He said, "I work across from you at the travel agency. This is my company on my shirt."
 
I said, "Oh I see. You like riding your bike."
 
He said, "Yes, I love my bike."

He would repeat his answer and he appeared a bit aloof, but very sweet and kind.
I was starting to notice that he could have  Aspergers or a similar diagnosis.

I said, "You are riding your bike at night a lot."

He said, "Yes I see you in the street and in your hotel."

I said, "Oh why do you do that? I'm not that interesting."

He said, " To help keep you safe."

We continued our conversation and I realized that he was not following me rather he was watching over me. He said that many bad people walk around at night. He was scared that something would happen to me.  He didn't come up to me because he did not want to bother me. 

What was interesting that this boy actually felt more nervous when he saw me talking to strangers. When I was near the pizza place, the park, and even the church. He said I should not talk to these people because they could be bad. 
It was clear this boy had a disability and it was clear that he was an angel on my shoulder.


Sometimes I feel invisible to danger because my strong connection with people. It's hard for me to remember that there is possibility for harm.  No matter how much I can coach them, calm them down, reason with them, challenge them, smile towards them, listen to them, and love them-danger is present within the environment and keeping safe is important. 

This boy took me down the street riding on his handle bars. I gave him a few pieces of candy and we parted ways. I'll never know if he really worked at the travel agency across the street or if he just came from a somewhere special...... 

Running Goodbye 1

The true beauty about a "Goodbye" is not the actual moment, but it is the blood, sweat, and tears that go into that moment. "Goodbye." How special are you going to make it?

How much effort are you going to make to get to that person?

When it comes to a goodbye it's titled "Running Goodbye" because all the running you do just to say "Goodbye."
This is not for your own benefit rather it's to serve the purpose of closure for that person.  It's to show that you took the time to find them and wish them a blessing, a take care, or a good luck. You have made a personal effort to wish them farewell and THIS is meaningful to these souls. 



Overtime, I was not always great at "goodbye." I had interpersonal relationships end with goodbye, I did not have the right closure with a client, or I didn't put that extra effort to reach someone.  With every single experience, we learn and with that poor goodbye hopefully comes a better one. 
From my early twenties to now my early 30s, I have experienced wonderful growth and gaining knowledge on how important closure can be for a person. It's a moment that two people should always have together leaving that person feeling hopeful and in peace. 

When it comes to this trip in Central America, each city encountered the Running Goodbye. I made every effort to inform people of my short time stay, I made a greater effort to make that time special, and I took the time to give a personal goodbye.  There are always those cases where someone is sick, on a different schedule, in a different location, or just absent that last day. You focus on those that are present and know you did your best.

This may all seem like one big question mark.
"Well don't we just say bye to the tourists, the volunteers, the Director and maybe some locals working at the school?"
This is not what the Running Goodbye means.  It's about
saying goodbye to a local culture, which you should me interacting with and learning from.  It's about saying bye to the man at the bodega near your accommodation, the girl selling ice cream, the man packing up his horse each day, the single mom who is cleaning the floors at the place you get your juice, the people behind the counters, the janitor at your placement, the security guard at the bank, and the man shining shoes. The list goes on and on, but these real human beings of the culture you are exploring deserve the acknowledgement and attention. 


 Of course, they deserve a hello and a conversation first followed by a goodbye.  It's not just a few people I am saying goodbye to rather I am saying goodbye to a city. I am running around trying to get to everyone in one to two days. Then I am sitting on the bus thinking, " I wish I got to say goodbye to Sister Francis."

When you meet and discuss with people from the street each and everyday, there are so many people that don't get a goodbye.  The one thing they do get is your presence.  They get to feel his spirit, exchange positive words, lend an ear for listening, feel encouraged or inspired, or again just given the attention is enough.  Sometimes the job is just done with attention, sometimes it requires a bit more effort, and sometimes the interaction is just a one time thing.  Personally, I know those people that I should be having closure with and leaving them with positivity and some inspiration. From up above, it's clear who I should be giving my time to, who needs that recognition, and who needs that closure. 

When it comes to goodbye, be conscious of how much it can truly mean to a person and how simple it actually can be.  Running around may not need to occur, but think of the effort you put into running. That effort could be how much you care about a culture and city. 

Intervention

As a brave soul, I let me curiosity take me into places I should not always be in.  This always happens with the desire to learn about people. Also, to make myself available to them as people gravitate towards me and his spirit.  People want to share intimate details about their life, they want advice, they want help, they want acknowledgement, they want to learn, they want to feel good, and they want to feel cared about and loved.

With this said, I went wondering through the houses to see a worn down house with a porch full of brown wooden boards all in a pile. Behind it, I found a man passed out and with a beer bottle laying on the ground. I tapped on the shoulder and he jumped up. I greeted him kindly and he was confused as to who I was and what I was doing there.  He kindly said, "Excuse me" and turned away to fix his hair and button up his shirt.  He looked Filipino, but clearly he was part of the local Mayan tribe.  He was thin with a dark dress shirt all wrinkled and beat up khaki cargo pants. He had a nice kind face and feet with no shoes. 

He presented with paranoia and anxiety and he said loudly, "Who sent you here?"

He was stuttering and said, "Did the police send you?"

He couldn't understand why I was there and I simply told him,
 "I just want to talk to you." 

I patted his shoulder and smiled and we sat down on the steps to the house.  He shared that this was his house that he owns with his wife.  His wife takes care of him and loves him even with all the drinking.  After a few questions, his drinking problem quickly rose to the surface.  We discussed his alcohol consumption, habits, reason for drinking, impact on family, etc. He opened up and shared his desires to quit(most addicts are great manipulators saying they will quit and they never do). 
To confirm, his interest in quitting drinking, he took the empty beer bottles on the ground and threw them away.  He then asked me to come towards the tree and I did. He cut a mango for me and then cut a big coconut for me to drink and one for himself.  

There we were outside the formal setting of social work, in the village, sharing a coconut and a one hour session together. 
It's hard to come up with substitute activities for a client when they are living in a village-it's limited.  However, the inspiration and religious component is priceless.  When I asked if he believed in Jesus, he shook his head and said, "Yes, oh yes." When I gave my inspiration speech about life and living it fully. When the body lives well, our life finds a way to live well too.
It was lunchtime and time for him to go home to his wife. His smile, his handshake, and his heart thanked me.

       One great moment in a sea of many PRIS