TV

We woke up to the surreal distant sound of a phone ringing. Then realized it was mine. Sorry, haven't listened for my phone for a week. My head is throbbing. It was wonderful to stand in a warm shower and feel the grime and sweat of the week fall away. The kids were awake and just laying on the bed. I wanted them to have something to do while they waited for the bathroom themselves. So I suggested the TV. They both looked at me like, Oh, TV? Our kids are deprived by this box. This week they spent most of their waking moments interacting with the people, playing with the children, and have developed long and lasting friendships. As I write, they are looking with boredom at the TV screen. There is no replacement for real life interaction. Be careful about what you do with your kids. They don't need a screen that deprives their minds or abilities. We will be watching even less TV than we used too. This trip affected our perceived need base, it seems I need less of somethings and more now of others.
While I am reflecting, I might also mentioned that having been gone and in Haiti for a week is much better then a couple of days. I remember the kids talking the first day or so, trying to deal with the reality that we couldn't leave for a week. It looked like an eternity last Thursday. But then our systems seemed to be purged of our addiction to the way things are here at home, and we were surprised at how the time went by. We developed connections you just cannot in a day or two visit. My recommendation for future trips will be 6-7 days minimum. Longer is better if you really want to develop an appreciation for a culture and the circumstances of a people. Otherwise you are prone to distortions, and false expectations. Even a week is a very short time when compared to the length and depth of the suffering of this culture. Love to all. God Bless.