The Haves and Have Nots

Xela is a busy place. People seem to always be moving- walking through the city streets on business, driving 'round the Central Plaza, getting on buses, carrying produce to market. You sense a genuine order to the community- it feels safe, productive, calm.

But they're not in any hurry. And Xela couldn't be called "fast-paced". Nor vibrant, really- not a place that thinks it's going anywhere soon. Maybe it's too busy looking backward- it has a long history of Spanish influence, and before that, hundreds of years of proud Mayan rule. And of course the people endured nearly forty years of civil war, ending only 1996. So it's possible that they're simply exhausted.

But I suspected something else was at work too- the understanding that everyone has his place, and short of violence, it is tough to really make a big difference in one's quality of life here. Which is why, I think, it's so typical for people to make their way to the USA if they can- to make a life for themselves outside the strict confines of traditional Guatemalan culture.

We were in Xela to help the needy people of Guatemala. And we met hundreds of local people who relied on volunteer help to meet some of their basic health needs. But as honored guests of the local Lions clubs, we also saw a different side of Guatemalan life- a more familiar, "wealthy" version. More like what we'd see at home. Braces and eyeglasses for kids, SUVs, Wiis, and family vacation homes "at the coast."

The Lions are the pillars of their communities. They are the doctors, lawyers, judges, and large and small business owners who keep the country humming. Many studied in the US. Others built their careers in the States, before returning to Guatemala in semi-retirement. They work very hard, and have successfully reaped the rewards of their labor. But many wouldn't be where they are today without family money, and that connection to the United States.

I'm glad that Guatemala's leading citizens are doing their best to help the needy around them. To a person, these Lions had hearts of gold. I just wish there were more of them, and fewer people who were just scraping by. Makes me feel really lucky to be an American.