Dearest Rachel –
Yesterday morning, after enduring two gullywashers in quick succession on Sunday (one of which knocked out the power in the house for about an hour or so), the temperature here (to say nothing of the threat of rain, although there was a high dome of clouds covering the sky that lasted throughout the day) had leveled off to such a degree that I decided to cross town on foot, as I’ve done from time to time (and have told you about in the past). It was still warm and rather humid – uncomfortably so, in fact, causing me to work up a sweat in the process in either direction – but it is the middle of August, after all. Besides, I need the exercise, having down next to nothing for the past week.
As I was walking to and through the downtown area, it occurred to me that this wasn’t an option that had been available to me for the past week. When we were at the Just One campus, we were advised to stay on the campus, and not wander off into the street (not something that would have crossed my mind to do this time around, since I had abandoned my idea to pick up garbage around the neighborhood). When we left campus for the No Hungry Home walk, or to build pilas, we traveled in fairly large groups; no less than half a dozen of us at a time.
Likewise, the hotel where we were staying was similarly walled around, with armed security patrolling the grounds. Not in any military or police-style uniforms as such, but they were clearly present, clearly armed, and keeping things safe and secure. What shopping we might wish to do was to be confined to the store on the hotel property, despite the fact that there was stores and restaurants within a much shorter walking distance than, say, home here and downtown Arlington. But we were warned not to consider making such a trip off the hotel property; it just wasn’t safe to do so (although now that I think about it, several did make a run to a pizza place half a mile down the way to pick up for Thursday’s dinner, but they were in a large group, so as to not be in danger).
And yet here I was, walking across a town of only a few thousand less than that one, all by myself, without a care in the world. The only concern I had was the possibility of being dehydrated from sweating as much as I was – and ironically, the three miles each way was still so much less exhausting than the hardly two that I had traversed on Thursday last.
Of course, this is not a thing that’s unique to Honduras, but any means; it just happens to be the place where I’ve had the most experience with this sort of restriction. The organization that we have dozens of runners from our church doing marathons to sponsor – the one that works to drill wells in various places in Africa – talks about how people have to walk so far to get water, but it’s not the distance that’s the real problem (although it does take away from kids’ time to study and go to school, too). No, one serious problem is the risk of assault – or worse – on these treks for water that the organization is trying to minimize. Whether in a city like the one in Honduras, or some rural location in the middle of nowhere in Africa, there are places where it’s just not safe to simply walk around.
And yet, here I was, just doing that, without a thought for my safety – although suddenly coming to a realization about that of other people’s elsewhere.
It could even be a different form of safety issue. I’ve commented about how, in the PRC, you couldn’t wander around unaccompanied back when I was there in college; unlike any of the other cities and countries we’d visited, we couldn’t leave the hotel without our Party-appointed guide. Even at the time, I doubted that it was a matter of the criminal element; compared to the likes of Bangkok, Beijing would seem positively puritanical. I thought it might be more of a case of “Big Chairman” needing to keep his eye on us potentially pernicious foreigners – an eye far less benevolent that I expect (and ask) of you. But regardless of the reason, there was no ability to wander around and see what there might be nearby.
And yet, I could do that here, without any concern; I just need to be prepared for the weather (which is why I hadn’t walked to the ‘office’ today, as we have yet another threat of rain). It’s a remarkable bit of freedom that we don’t often realize that we have, to just walk out our door and keep going, without any real concern about our safety or whether we’re being surveilled.
Granted, to a certain extent, we’re aware of our ability to drive to anywhere we might want to go without any hindrance other than the constraints of time, gas and commitments elsewhere and elsewhen. But we do seem to forget the ability to simply walk about our neighborhoods and take in the place; far too many others don’t even have that luxury.
That being said, honey, I wouldn’t object to your eye being on me (it certainly beats that of any Big Brother, that’s for sure), and whatever well-wishes you can extend. I may not need it as much as some might, but I could always use them.
Letters to Rachel 