Getting closer. Travel here yesterday was without issue - well, with the exception of standing outside where they told me to for an hour and a half waiting for a hotel shuttle at the Miami airport until 11:30 last night. But hey - builds character!
After the 4th phone call of "hello, where ARE you guys?" as I stood there freezing my patooty off (that one was for you Sparky :-), and who knew it could be so fricken' cold in MIAMI?!) I had the light bulb go off that maybe - just maybe - something or someone was trying to tell me something. So instead I got on a shuttle to a delightful Doubletree whose quiet room I now type from, that showed up right in front of me as I was on my cell getting potential alternate hotel phone numbers from my husband. True story: he'd read off the names Wyndham, Holiday Inn, Softiel, Doubletree - and voila, the Doubletree shuttle pulled up in front of my face.
Paul Farmer if you're out there? Like you were quoted in your book and I already referenced here once - you do indeed need to listen to the angels when they're talking to you.
So I relate that little tale not as a complaint - I will have none on this trip, I don't care what gets thrown at me. No way I can justify any given where I'm going. Because I'm finding just the thought of where I'm going - the people there and the conditions they have been/are living under - is putting a lot of things into clear perspective for me ... little stupid stuff should not be sweated.
After talking with Reg this morning (every conversation by phone only confirming that if you're gonna hitch your wagon to somebody you've never met under circumstances like these? Couldn't find a nicer, more dependable generous man - than Reg Auguste. Although still say being a little crazy helps too; he's kindly taking me and my project on in the first place without ever having met me either ... some could indeed rightly say we're both nuts here) I'm now scheduled to go into Haiti on Saturday afternoon. I'll be back in Miami he assures me one way or the other, next Wednesday.
Tomorrow he's trying to arrange for his wife and son who are here now, to meet with me. And the stories, background and perspective will begin in earnest.
I'll share another "angel talking" sign I had yesterday during my travels. On my flight to SFO from RDD bright and early yesterday morning, there was a woman close to me with a loud enough voice to carry over the prop engine noise, talking with her traveling companions ... about Haiti. She was telling them the story of the pigs. That's a long one I won't get into right now because at this point I really don't know all of the tale myself - but condensed version is that there was a native breed of pig that the Haitians bred and used as barter; very important to them. Some aide groups basically came in and said - "no, no - we have a better pig for you!" and the native pigs were history and a new breed came in? That couldn't survive.
Like I said, condensed version - but those of you paying attention get the point: what was supposed to be helpful? Turned out to be disasterous. A sad theme I'm thinking in this country.
Unfortunately, once we landed, she and her companions were gone before I could get a chance to talk with her. But the fact she was telling this tale - KNEW this information to begin with and was sitting within ear shot of me on my flight yesterday? Has got to be more than a coincidence.
There's been a whole lot of that so far on this journey.
Have a feeling there will be more before it's done.
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