#1 PRIORITY

Iguana sighting!

The kids climb up on the trees and houses to find mangos to eat.

Kaylor and me coloring. Although, Kaylor usually eats more of the crayons than he draws with.

Tito and Manuelito all smiles!

This morning, I was on my usual route to el Rio eager to see the smiling faces of all the kids. Excited about pictures I had printed of the kids, I was a little anxious to get to the Rancho and hand them out. My camelback was heavy with a day’s worth of water and my camera stowed safely. Distracted by the banana I was trying to finish before I got to el Rio, I absent-mindedly peddled past the cows, ceviche shops, and sodas.  I try to finish my breakfast before I get to el Rio each morning, or bring enough for everyone because the kids are always so hungry and it is distracting and unfair to eat right in front of them.

            Somewhere in between taking a bite of my banana and crossing the street, a large white van with chipped paint and broken windows rounded the corner quickly and hit me. The van’s punch sent me towards the sidewalk and my bike to the middle of the street. With my dad’s voice in the back of my head, I tucked and rolled, and to my surprise my volleyball dives must have come in handy because I was straight back on my feet and headed towards the bike. The man in the van was no where to be found, but that wasn’t my concern.

            If there is one thing I have learned in Costa Rica, it is that bikes are valuable and if given the slightest opportunity will be stolen right in front of you. I rushed to the bike glad that my number one priority was safe just like me. I then pulled off to the side of the road and checked my camera and was pleasantly surprised to see that there was not one scratch on the lens. After relaying the story to a friend his first question was are you okay and I thought, wow yeah I am. Why was it that until that moment, I didn’t think about how lucky I was that not only my camera and bike were safe but I was too?

            When I related this one incident to my everyday life, I couldn’t help but think, where else in my life do I forget me as my number one priority? While perhaps it is easy to get lost in service, is it just as simple to lose my respect for myself because my focus is turned so drastically outward.  If I am so concerned with material goods (bikes and cameras for example?) than am I not in tune with what is truly important in life?

            My roommate, and friend Erin, always reminds me to not put myself second. It is an endearing phase that we pass back and forth when we notice that one or the other isn’t having as much respect for themselves as they ought to. While the power of helping another will always remain my top priority, I need to remember that I come before a bike and I come before a camera. People are always more important than objects. So today, Erin’s voice was a little louder than usual and came in the form of a forceful van. I was knocked down as a reminder to remember me. If I am teaching respect to the kids, I need it for myself. The second reminder was that the Ticos are less than forgiving on the road and that days here with health accompanying them are a blessing so it is time to celebrate! 


"All living beings, starting from insects, want happiness and not suffering. However, we are only one, whereas others are infinite in number. Thus, it can be clearly decided that others gaining happiness is more important that just yourself alone."-- from The Path to Tranquility: Daily Wisdom