People Preceding Productivity: A Richer Way to Live

Takin' in back again, January 2004, serving teams for CSI, Haiti.

"The table has been cleared for almost an hour, but conversation continues to be served and consumed long into the night.  A tiny Hindu woman from India speaks almost urgently to a Methodist minister about ABC's reality show, "The Bachelor," a divorced mother of three chatters of various diets to a five-foot-two church janitor, and a suntanned missionary debates the recent Ohio State Bowl Game with a Cincinnati factory worker, who bangs his fist emphatically on the table in response: all at the same time.

Por-au-Prince, the big city

It's not about the minutes, and not about being on the same page.  It's about the moments and about being together, and in Haiti, it's all a part of the package.

The poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti is a country that is all about relationships, not efficiency.  Run to the pharmacy to fill a prescription for the clinic, and wait with six other people on one bench for an hour only to find out the store doesn't have it.  Say good-bye to new friends and move on.

Stop by the hardware store to grab some bolts for the next team project.  You can't pick some up and head for the door after shoving a few bills across the counter.  No.  You take a number to a clerk and exchange conversation about everything from your children to your religious beliefs before he starts to search for what you want.

Walk out on the porch in the evening, and you'd better expect to see your neighbor taking a bucket bath  in the moonlight.  Try to duck back in, and he's got you wrapped into conversation, even if you never wanted to have a heart-to-heart with a naked neighbor.

Coming from America, where time matters more than talk, personal space more than sharing, and privacy more than openness, I often grow frustrated by the endless inefficiencies of Haiti.  I cling to my planner, schedule my friend time, and multi-task almost 24/7, often writing while talking on the phone, listening to boyfriend-drama while doing laundry and philosophy at the same time, often catching up on phone calls while driving.

But as the people priority in Haiti forces me to re-focus, I wonder which way is best.  (My need to determine what order of bestness things go in is probably an American side-effect, as well.)

Tonight I watched from a distance as a 15-year-old American girl and a wiry German man who had just met around the table entered the kitchen and offered to wash dishes with the Haitain cooks.  I waited for Ginny to politely decline their eager help, knowing the chore would be much faster completed alone without the language barriers, age gaps, and limited space.  

But to my surprise, they were warmly welcomed and put to work.  I watched in amusement as the four unlikely friends joyfully interacted in their broken languages, building relationships over soapy water, unaware of the ever-shifting clock.

I don't know which is best.

But I think I might stay a while."

PS--Matt is safely home from England and sleeping it off!  Thanks for all your prayers!

PSS--We start our "world tour" Saturday...check the link above, "Summer 2013", to find out when we're where!  Would love to see you!!!