I have been thinking a lot about what it actually takes to be happy in life. Being here in Costa Rica has actually invoked much thought about this. I think about life here in central America and about all of the material things that many people don't have, and their level of happiness intrigues me. Back in the states it seems that so many people place so much importance on material possessions. So many people try to find happiness in having the latest and greatest thing. These things are only temporary though. The new will wear off. Then it becomes like a hunger. The new constantly wearing off and then you having the constant need for the "new" latest and greatest thing. This seems like a very disappointing way to attempt to fulfill one's need for happiness. It also seems that with money comes stress. Money is such a powerful "force" in our society. Money has been the cause of many depressions and many suicides. Why do we let money have such a strong hold on our lives. So many people actually live their lives according to the desire to have more.
But living here in the valley has allowed me to look a little more closely at the relationship between people and material possessions or money. Take the family that I lived with in Nicaragua. To shower they poured buckets of water on themselves. Their toilet was a a cemented hole in the ground that went about 70 feet or so in to the ground and was surrounded by sheet metal. They had no sink. When they would get water for any reason they would go to their kitchen area and fetch it from a 55 gallon barrel, and I have no idea where they got the water to put in the barrel. They did not have a stove, they had a fire pit. Now I will say they did have electricity and a TV that we watched most nights. They didn't have any type of vehicle. The kids and teenagers in the house that had school walked almost 4 miles everyday to and from school. I don't say any of this to make myself seem better or more privileged or more blessed. I say all of that to now say that they were some of the happiest and joyful people I have had the privilege to meet, other than my first night in their house haha. They didn't seem to feel like they lacked anything. They had all the necessities, and most importantly, I realized, they had their family. Something worth more than any material possession. They did not seem like the sad, "impoverished" people we are so accustomed to picturing. Though they may not have many of the luxuries we are accustomed to there level of happiness is one that rivals those with plenty. It has caused me to really think about what is important in life and what I hope to treasure in my future. That same happiness is also seen in Nancy, the cook here at QERC, and her daughters. They have so much joy in their spirits even though their conditions may be what many people in the U.S. would consider to be "bad." They don't seem to be people in need. They don't seem to be people in search of help to make their lives easier. They accept what they have been given and make the absolute best of it. They find joy. This is something I feel many people could learn from including myself. And for the people that I have encountered no one can say "well if they would get off their lazy butts and do some work then maybe they wouldn't be in their situation." These are honestly some of the hardest working people I have met. That being said, this supposed “blissful” life does not come without its price. It also has its downfall. People here in central America face many more problems than what is common back in the states.
I have a friend that I have met here in Costa Rica. He is 20, the youngest in his family, and works at the hotel close to QERC. He has gone through a number of hardships to get where he is and is actually an inspiration to me. His parents both work at a farm. He had to quit school when he was 12 so that he could work at the farm to also help support his family. He was never able to attend high school, which in Costa Rica encompasses 6 grades instead of only 4 like in the U.S. After working for a while he ended up completing all of the necessary coursework and testing to complete his high school education on his own. He didn't attend school, he just did the required independent studying and tests. He did all of this while working full time at the farm. After that he took a class in English, and since that class he has developed the ability to speak English quite well. He works at the hotel basically every single day. He normally works in the restaurant during meal times and works at the bar, which is where I have most of my conversations with him in the lounge, outside of meal times. (Disclaimer: no alcohol is being consumed. At the bar I drink Coke and coffee haha.) He normally gets about 4 days off every month for the most part. But on top of working pretty much every day, he works from 6 A.M. to 4 P.M. and then from 6 P.M. to about 9:30 P.M. or 10 P.M. almost every day that he works. On top of this he is taking college courses, one at a time, on the service industry and hotel work. He has been working at the hotel for about 6 months, and lives here in the valley in community housing while he works though he lives about 2 hours away. His father just recently had a total reconstruction of his knee, so he is not able to work. As a result of this, Greivin, my friend's name, has to work this much to try to support himself and his family since his dad is currently unable to work right now. This scenario is actually quite common in many areas of central America.
That being said, there are clearly many problems and hardships that come with many of the lifestyles of central America. I want to make clear that, although they still seem to maintain a certain amount of joy and happiness and Costa Ricans rarely complain about their life situations, their lives are no walk in the park. I also want to make clear that I do now mean that their lives are "better" because they don't have to worry about money. I am sure many central Americans wish they were in situations where they had more money. Their lifestyles are simply different than many lifestyles back in the states, but I do think we can learn a few things from the lifestyles of many central Americans. If nothing else we can develop a greater appreciation of what we have been blessed with, and hopefully take a second glance at our priorities and make sure they are in line. Are material possessions simply a part of our lives, and hopefully not the majority, or do our lives revolve around them. This experience has just given me a new perspective that has hopefully helped me to develop a more wholesome perspective about the whole issue. I feel like there is a balance. We should not shun the blessings we do have, but we should be cautious about our devotion.
Now before I finish I do want to talk a little about some of the very good redeeming qualities of the U.S. First of all the U.S. has been the source of so much technological innovation that the whole world has benefitted from. We also have supplied the world with the most and some of the best scientific researchers and have brought about many great innovations in medicine. Many great things have come from the U.S., and I want to make it clear that I do not hate the U.S. haha. I am proud to be from the U.S. and am thankful for my upbringing. Living in the U.S. has enabled to receive a great education and has allowed me to accomplish, and hopefully will continue to accomplish, great things that may have been more difficult if I had lived in a central American country or the such. I am given many opportunities in the states that many people will never receive and I should be thankful. To not be thankful would be disrespectful I believe. Many children, especially here in the valley, do not receive what we would consider a full education. Now I also want to add that basically everyone is literate and does receive some type of education. But here in the valley, if we are being honest, an education is not quite as valuable as it is in the states. Unless you are planning to leave the valley, which many do not, and do something different with your life, it is actually more beneficial for you to begin work at an early age rather than spend extra years in school. What we think of as important priorities are not necessarily as important in many other parts of the world. We have to remember not to hold people of other cultures and areas of the world to the same standards that we think are important. We must remember to think of things in a relative sense.
These are just a few of the things I have been pondering lately. Like I said, I do not think that one lifestyle is necessarily better than the other. They are just different and each has their benefits and each definitely has their hardships. I strongly believe that we can all take a little something from each lifestyle and develop a more wholesome perspective. I feel like a large part of this experience is gaining and maintaining a balance to my worldview. More and more we live in a global society, and we have the ability to less isolated from our global brothers and sisters more and more each day. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to learn about the people of Costa Rica and central America.
¡Pura Vida!
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