WILD MONKEYS

            The last few days have been touristy and not much time has been spent at el Rio. It is 7 AM here in Costa and I am trying to fit a blog in before I head down to el Rio today. After not having been there yesterday, I am really excited to see the kids. Aimee, Rob, and I were talking yesterday about how easy it is to grow fond of someone who doesn’t even speak your language.

            Yesterday, we headed to the National Park here called Manuel Antonio. While we were in the middle of hiking a trail in the middle of the rain forest, I took a banana out and waved it to the monkeys. Instantaneously, they came running down the branches and surrounded us; it was one of the coolest experiences. For the next twenty minutes, we spent our time handing banana straight to them as they reached for the treat out of our hands. It was amazing to me that a monkey could be perfectly fine interacting so closely with humans; I guess it is a matter of adjusting to what will provide for you. The monkeys needed food and we had lots of it.

            One of the most shocking things I have seen here in Costa Rica is how easily people become accustom to new environments. When Westerners come to Jaco, their sense of time seems to slip away within days and they learn to accept the loose life style. People like me, who schedule their days up to the hour in a planner, don’t know what time it is most often. I just learned yesterday that Tito arrived in Costa Rica from Nicaragua (where most of the poorer people in Jaco are from) a few days before I got here. It made me think of how amazing it was again that people are so flexible and can grow accustom to living in a new environment so quickly.

            When I remember the first times I spent with Tito, I think about how overwhelming it was that all he did was hit and fight. Now, knowing what I do, it seems more reasonable. What I am saying is perhaps we are more like wild monkeys that we would like to admit. Tito had two goals: to stay safe and fed, and to establish a sense of security with the other kids. He knew that he wanted food and he wanted a home. He also knew that he wanted to be accepted by his peers so to do that, he hit kids and threw rocks. Similarly, the monkeys are wild animals; typically they wouldn’t interact with people but they had to eat and so they did.

            I am going to spend my last few days in Costa Rica (I leave on Wednesday) examining myself. I want to know where in my life I have grown accustom and if it is for the right reasons. Sometimes flexibility in life is a good thing but sometimes we are just settling for comfort.