I am starting to notice a trend as I read fellow contributors’ stories. While we are all going through vastly different experiences throughout Latin America, we are also sharing some common ones.
Mabogota’s post this week – Teaching English with a Fake Degree I Bought off the Internet – is a good example. Reading his post got me thinking about how having to sometimes ‘wing it’ is a universal occurrence. I think all too often people (myself included) sometimes feel they need things a certain way in order to proceed in a particular direction. But as volunteers we do not always have the luxury of taking the proper steps towards doing something, and often, we have to opt for the ‘wing it ’ approach. We do the best we can with what we have on hand.
The kids here in San Pedro are very adaptable and creative, and watching them has been a good 
learning experience for me. I have seen them construct their own fishing rods using empty pop bottles and fishing lines; use pieces of Styrofoam for floats; and find a way to somehow bring broken boats back to life, providing hours of entertainment in the process. When Holy Cross School first started there were no desks but it did not matter – the kids happily sat for their lessons and took nap time on the floor using their backpacks as pillows. They didn’t worry about what they were missing, but rather, accepted where they were and made the best of the situation.
I think we could all take a lesson from the kids around us and cultivate the creative, adaptable spark that lies within. From what I see around me, I think it is important to feed that fire more often.
Latest posts by tacogirl
- The Story of the Stove - October 23rd, 2009
- Need Some Cash? 10 Ways to Fundraise - October 1st, 2009
- Belize Volunteer Opportunities - September 23rd, 2009
- Volunteer Vacation - September 11th, 2009
- Building up a Community - August 27th, 2009
- Little Differences - August 24th, 2009
- Introducing San Pedro town, Belize - August 13th, 2009
- Island Life - August 6th, 2009
