Paradise

It was paradise.  I stared in amazement at the wonder all around me.  It was like a dream and my senses were heightened by everything that I saw, smelled, heard and felt.  The warm sand under my feet was pure white and fine.  The smell of the crystal clear ocean filled my senses with an incredible salt water scent.  The sound of the never-ending waves soothed my whole being.  I had never been in such a beautiful place in my life and I was beyond excited to make the most of my vacation.  Walking on the Cuban beach that first day was like walking into an oasis. 

Vacationers everywhere were sprawled on their loungers, soaking up the warm sun.  We looked around, searching for a place to stop and take advantage of this sanctuary.  Out of the blue came a young Cuban man wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  He introduced himself as Yuri and asked us if we were looking for loungers.  We told him we were, but we could certainly grab them ourselves as we didn’t want to bother him.  Yuri quickly ran to grab a couple loungers, telling us that it was no trouble.  We didn’t want to insult him, as he seemed very eager to help, so we accepted his offer.  We talked a while with Yuri and discovered that this was his job.  He provided loungers for hotel guests and collected them at the end of the day.  He told us this wasn’t his plan for his life.  He wanted to be a marine biologist, and studied hard in high school to become one.  He was always at the top of his class and felt he was well prepared for the university entrance exam he needed to write in order to enroll.  It turns out he didn’t make the cut.  Post-secondary education is free in Cuba, however, students have to go through an interview and exam process.  It was decided (for him) that he didn’t meet the standard necessary and therefore school was not an option.

Listening to him tell his story caused me to think about how I have the option to pursue any education path I choose, and didn’t understand how he wasn’t even given the chance.  One of the things that he said to me that really struck me was “now I’m nothing”, referring to the fact that he brings vacationers chairs on the beach day in and day out.  He has no other option and his opportunities are very limited.  In contrast, my options are endless.  In that moment I thought about how I have the privilege to attend post-secondary education if I choose, travel freely to beautiful destinations and even have clean water at my disposal in the midst of a drought.  Just days before we arrived we learned there was a drought in Cuba and the resort had run out of water.  Nervously we boarded the plane, wondering if we would be able to shower and flush toilets when we arrived.  Being here now we see that the problem was rectified.  How can a drought be rectified?  Everywhere we travelled outside the resort revealed brown grass and dehydrated trees and vegetation, however our resort seemed unscathed.  Looking around we didn’t notice a problem.  That was because the solution came in massive bladders of water that had been shipped to the hotel, providing their guests the means necessary to have an enjoyable holiday.  My paradise was more than just what was before me in that scene, but everywhere I go.