For the study abroad generation of American students, it is all too easy to see the world as our oyster. For Americans however, visiting countries like Vietnam or Nicaragua can often be a rude awakening. We are not entirely unaware of our nation's involvement in the recent history of these places, but we did not live through it. It requires an extraordinary effort to understand the perceptions that are held, often fairly, by people from these places.
Though I am intensely studying the culture, the language, and the way of life of Nicaraguans, I will never be Nicaraguan. My view of Ronald Reagan will never be the same as the views held by people here. I have found, however, that I can learn from the people who lived through that time.
I realized how necessary this would be when I spoke to a man on the street about American politics. He was familiar with Reagan and Jimmy Carter but did not know who Barack Obama was. I decided to make a mission of learning more about our country's involvement in Nicaragua.
I chose to read Gioconda Belli's memoir. Belli was born into a wealthier family in Nicaragua, but eventually found herself at the center of the revolution that overthrew Somoza. While my work in rural communities is not nearly as intense as the overthrowing of an evil dictator. There were some key lessons to learn. I included some of my favorite quotes below, but the biggest takeaway for me was that Belli has spent her life since the revolution measuring the gap between what the revolution promised, and the present situation. A gap we focus on everyday with our work, and perhaps, should focus on more in the United States.
Belli captures the beauty of her country, the fortitude of its people, and the solace found in pursuing collective dreams.
"When you are working for other's happiness, the first person's you find, is often your own."
"I learned to enjoy the crowded solitude of my thoughts and the aroma of my own experience, a time when I found I could be good company for myself, because I had taken control of my own freedom. I loved, not because I needed it, but because I inhabited myself."
"I realized nothing would compare to the vibrant passion of pursuing collective dreams."
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| Reading Belli, amidst the beauty she so vividly describes. |
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| Proliferation of education and literacy was one of the founding tenets of the revolution. |
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| "My name is Mike" |
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| A common site in Las Crucitas |
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| Beauty is captured in more than the landscapes |
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| A rural abode |
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| Problem to solve: A Lack of Access |
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| Their brother was mauled by a rabid dog |
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| The beauty of Catarina |
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| The beauty at Las Isletas |
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| The beauty of Mombacho |
