PNewL PNewS
Volume 19 No. 2 “All the pnews that phits.” May 2011
May 1: It seems important to write this while emotions and memories are still fresh. I was part of an educational delegation to Haiti this past week and have come back a changed person. It was one of the more remarkable trips, if not the most remarkable, I have taken. I can't remember ever learning as much in one week as I did last week—about Haiti and agriculture and history and oh everything.
I met some of our group in the Ft Lauderdale airport, the rest at Matthew 25, our guest house in Port au Prince. The trip organizer was Stephen from Agricultural Missions, an ecumenical organization that supports rural impoverished folks. Stephon was our videographer. Gary and Bonnie came by way of the United Church of Canada involved in investing their charitable dollars in grassroots groups, and Monica and Eric have been working in Haiti for several years--they were looking to widen their network. Andriana is writing a book on farmers and fishers in the Americas, and me? Just doing the Peggy-thing. (Actually, I have been part of a learning circle on Haiti and I wasn't getting it via conference calls so when the opportunity appeared to see the place, I jumped. I am an experiential learner and this was an experience to learn from.)
We travelled around in a heavy duty Toyota...not sure what...but it had facing bench seats in the back and it was apparently made for the miserable roads of rural and, come to think of it, urban Haiti. Our driver, Carrell, was a master at his job though a bit lead-footed for my taste. I swear my butt is bruised, but I can't confirm that as I am too old to contort myself in that way.
Haiti is a beautiful country. As Paul Farmer's book title says, there are "Mountains Beyond Mountains," and it's in the Caribbean for crikey's sake. But its history is the poster child for "whatever can go wrong will go wrong" and there's plenty of blame to go around--the good old USA is on the list. I learned on this trip that, to paraphrase what Amy and Dan used to say to their kids, I love my country but sometimes I don't like it very much.
We met with farmers to hear about the challenges facing them. A laundry list. Who knew life could be so hard? And yet, they keep on and come up with some creative solutions and work together to make change. Go team go! There's a heckuva long way to go. I was heartened to hear Monica who has worked there for five years say that she was impressed with the amount of hope Haitians have. What a spirit. In my way, I said, if I lived here, I would move.
In Haiti, there is a lack of water--people walk forever to get potable water. Water for irrigation is a huge issue and so we saw cisterns that different folks have designed to solve some of the problems, though standing water in a country ripe with malaria is another issue. As a woman who works at the guest house said, Nothing is easy in Haiti.
Several weeks later: The memories of my visit to Haiti continue to bubble up as the distraction of life here has taken over. I printed a picture Stephon took of a family who was displaced by the earthquake and put it next to my computer. Two adults--the woman: beautiful beaming smile, neatly dressed sitting on a stool outside a recently finished mud structure--their new home--which hadn't been sealed yet; the man seemingly less able to deal with health issues and their conditions living in a tattered tent and this new structure--accompanied by their six children. They wanted to stay in the countryside but they had...nothing. The children were naked as their clothes were drying on the bushes behind them.
Looking at this woman, I felt she could have been a friend of mine had the cards been dealt differently. Without being able to communicate in words, there was something in her smile that said it will be ok. The hope of which Monica spoke. As we left her, I cried for her and her family and the rains that were coming that would pelt her unsealed mud home. Now from miles away, I look at her smile every morning and work on being hopeful for her every single day.
We stayed with a group of Brazilian farmers who were on a long term exchange—there are Haitian farmers living in Brazil too. Their hope and belief that working together they can make a difference was inspiring. This is not easy living. And they are young men, in the prime of their lives. Stephen said that the leader of the group had been knocked down by not one but two illnesses since we were there. We did a little work around the compound. Bonnie and I watered their garden—the guys brought water in large containers in a wheel barrow. We hand watered with little containers. Meanwhile, other guys were digging a well, sending up buckets of dirt with a pulley. They dug a perfectly round hole 13 meters deep when they finally hit water, several days after our return. Nothing is easy in Haiti.
I could go on and on with stories and we were only there for a week. The kitchen gardens growing in inside-out truck tires. The mangoes…ah the mangoes! The mosquitoes—ah the mosquitoes! The unusual celebration of Easter with dancing in the street and some pretty serious party going on. The visit to the Cholera ward. Driving into Port au Prince in a blinding rain storm past tent cities. Little bit of up, lots of down, with a hearty sprinkling of hope.
Reminder: Angel Island #30 is coming up on June 25.
Be there or be square.
Things I am Learning & Miscellaneous Observations
- When I saw my birthday on the horizon, I thought about what I would like to receive and I realized, as we probably all do, I don't need stuff, and what I would really like is help. So I went to Chris and asked this master gardener if she would help me in the garden, and I went to Sculley and asked if he would hang a light fixture, and I asked Allison if she would paint my front door just like hers. And they all said yes. And I was thrilled by the results. I hope they are too!
- On occasion, a perfectly healthy house plant just dies. Nothing has changed. I feel like it is suicide. Very strange.
- Recently I met a man I found interesting and charming and thoughtful and caring. It was so refreshing. It's been a long time. It was also comforting to know they are out there. The fact that he is geographically undesirable, married, and oh there was another hurdle which escapes my mind at this time, is besides the point. Meanwhile, my 80 year old neighbor says if only I were a little bit older...
- Spring has sprung and really only teases us as summer is looming large, heating our afternoons like an industrial oven, but in the cool mornings, all sorts of critters are peeking out at us when we walk. We seem to have a bumper crop of bunnies and almost as many squirrels. Two beautiful little turtles have been spotted, but the big dog doesn't seem to care. Yesterday, I saw the deer before Baru Bear, but when they saw each other, I felt there was an acknowledgment of a family resemblance there.
- What to say about a recent infatuation with standing in a cold stream in waders, watching the water rush by? I had no idea how comforting that experience could be! When a few different situations converged (I am trying to get Peter to visit and thought if I learned to fish, he might come; my neighbor has a fly fishing store; my friend Betsy is an avid fisherwoman), I found myself in the above situation...oh yeah and with a rod in my hand flicking a line back and forth, hoping nothing bit including a tree branch. It was...surprisingly delightful.
- US households use 17 billion rolls of toilet paper every year.
- I was listening to a trashy chick lit audio book recently when it described a character as one who only thought of food as fuel. He would be happy if he could take a pill instead of hassling with meals. I thought...that would work for me. Don't get me wrong. I love good food. I even like some junk food (not fast food)-- I like to eat. But, there're times when it would be handy if mealtime was over without a thought. It made me wonder, if there were a pill that was healthy--this is fantasy. Don't think red dye #whatever or long term effect on inner organs--would that appeal...on occasion? How often? I thought about it and realized, breakfast and lunch are not a problem but there are probably a couple nights a week when foraging for food in my pantry and fridge takes more time than my attention span. This is a poll. How about you?
- I am running out of space so The Reluctant Gardener report will have to wait til next time. Suffice it to say, I work hard in the garden and then ignore it for lengths of time. Still figuring this all into my life. I have gotten a handful of blueberries already!!
It's a blow to have to admit to yourself that you are not quite cut out for something that matters so much to you.
Gabrielle Hamilton, Blood Bones and Butter
