It’s hard to imagine spring being just around the corner, but I have never been more ready. It seems snow predictions have been a weekly occurrence by weathermen all across the state this winter. The first few were exciting but I am ready for the sunshine and warm temperatures. I don’t think I will be quite as quick to complain about the heat this year. This unusually cold winter has made me even more tolerable of the mosquitoes that love to travel with the warmer temperatures, although the cold winter might have provided a bright side to that problem.
Sometimes we have to experience a change outside of our regular routine to appreciate what we have. Recently our son’s class at school went on a little trip of its own. Although the students only traveled three hours away, the places they visited were worlds away from their everyday, privileged lives. These sophomore students visited Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas, and came back with new perspectives and appreciation for the life-styles they are used to and have taken for granted. While there, these teenagers learned about poverty, hunger and sustainable development in areas such as Guatemala, Thailand, Zambia, Appalachian urban slums and refugee camps. The kids were put into five groups and spend the night in huts, or areas on the ranch that best represented that region. One group might have water, one might have rice and one might have matches but no group had everything it needed for the night and the refugees had nothing and even lost their ability to communicate through language. Put all this together and make the temperature a rather chilly 27 degrees and these kids were in for a night they will never forget. They had to learn to barter with each other and work together if they wanted to eat, stay warm and if it were longer than a night, survive. The 24 hours they were on the ranch came and went quickly but the impression it left on these teenagers will last a lifetime.
I talked to a couple of the kids and asked them how this affected their thoughts on how others live. One child said he was able to make it through the night because he knew it would all be over in the morning, but he also added that people in these real situations didn’t have that to look forward to. One boy came home and thanked his mother for his lifestyle and couldn’t get in his warm bed quick enough. I asked my son what he wanted for dinner and he said Elfo’s, his favorite gourmet restaurant. I asked him what he wanted from there and again he said “Elfo’s, Mom, and everything they have.” I did get Elfo’s for dinner, and his belly was full and he was sound asleep in a warm bed. This was much different than how he spent the night before and how many people spend every night.
As you make plans to travel this spring and summer, you might want to try at least one trip out of your comfort zone. Maybe a mission trip to Haiti or a short trip to Heifer Ranch; the experience is sure to be unforgettable. And happy spring everyone! To quote George Harrison of the Beatles, “Here comes the sun and I say it’s alright.”
