Country Learning

Last night was the first significant power outage we’ve experienced at our new house. The power was out from about 8:30 pm to 1:00 am.

It was very exciting when I realized that we still had water. Yea for rural water! And, thanks to our propane water heater with pilot light, we also had *hot* water! After several years of well water, this was a luxury! I celebrated by taking a shower. Then I realized I’d be going to bed with wet hair since the hairdryer wouldn’t be drying any time soon.

The power went out while we were in the middle of getting a lot of rain. That meant a lot of water was draining into the sump pump, but the pump wasn’t running. I did offer to help John carry buckets of water outside (albeit an half-hearted offer). He let me sleep instead. Thanks, John!

I wish I could remember the name of the person who told me this story, his story. I met this man while I was spending a summer in Arizona volunteering with Child Protective Services. He was very excited to learn that I was from Indiana because it was in Indiana where he learned that all people are the same, no matter what nationality or socioeconomic status.

About 20 years earlier he had just come to the United States from Mexico to go to college. A friend convinced him to go on a road trip from Arizona to the East Coast. Being in a strange country, he was nervous, but agreed to go along. They stayed one night with friends of this friend in Indiana.

There the man was utterly amazed. These American children were playing with (lightning) bugs! He would have never imagined that children in the United States would do something that the poorest Mexican children did. Immediately he felt less nervous in this unfamiliar place.

He learned a lesson that night, and made sure that I understood it well. When it comes down to it, we're all the same. We're all human beings. We all play with bugs.

And now, every time I see lightning bugs, I imagine that scene in Indiana and remember that we are all children of God.