Saturday, June 13, 2009

parade etc...

yesterday i took a wandering walk...and came upon a random parade and fair...I first noticed boys in uniform and then scantically clad girls in uniforms and I was wondering what was up. Maybe another holdiday or something so I followed a couple girls in hooker boots and cheerleading looking uniforms.And then they were everywhere and there were a ton of people watching this parade next to a park, and there was food and music and rides on the grass. It was really cool. I asked a woman what was going on and it was a city wide parade of the schools. There were marching down a long path. They all had different uniforms and and some of them were in marching bands for each school. The girls in the hooker boots were in the marching bands or in the baton twirling groups. I´ve never seen any marching bands that were SO...um sexy lol...I don´t think that would fly in the US teenage girls in black stilleto hooker boots marching down the street. I know my mom was in the marching band and highschool and I know that would not have flown in ohio lol.But this didn´t seem to bother anyone else, especially the young men and boys oggling them on the sidelines. I had a good time though, it was cool to see that many paraguayans together celebrating school and parauayan pride.There were a lot of flags, and cheering, pride, and joy. The only downside was that the haves and the have nots was never so obvious. These kids parents crearly had money to pay for these very nice uniforms, instraments, schools, and hooker boots...And there were poor kids and families selling food and other things on the sidelines. It was really sad I could tell this one little girl who was colleting empty cans towards the end, wished she could be a part of it and march and get her hair done like the other girls and wear a clean pretty uniform. I think a lot of people here are just kind of immune to the poverty because its so wide spread and they see it everyday. No one bats an eye when kids run around with no shoes, and a 6 year old tries to sell you a chicklet for next to nothing.But I still get a pang in my chest everytime.I usually try and give them something,and sometimes a I buy chicklets and tell them to keep the change. A 6year old should not be shoeless and husteling socks or whatever with their older sister all day long. They should´t have to worry about money and where their next meal is coming from. On cold nights when it rains hard I wonder if they have a safe place to sleep at night.It seriously breaks my heart because there are so many of them. Its brought me close to tears a few times, especially when I look them in eye and they look back at me with sad hungry eyes.I want to take them home with me, and feed them, and bathe them, and read them a story, and put them to bed under a warm blanket.Every child deserves those things. And I think I might have been one of them...if I had´t been adopted.I´m one of the lucky ones I guess...which also sometimes makes me feel guilty for being lucky, for having more, for not having to worry about where my next meal will be. But my guilt and sadness is nothing compared to what these poor kids have to go through. It just hurts because even though I have more I can´t fix it all,its beyond me and them its the whole country it needs a massive restructuring to helps its people, my people. I think the first major movement should be a massive distribution of condoms and birth control. Which maybe hard to do in a very catholic county but seriously there are too many starving children running around barefoot, and mothers who work hard but can barely take care of them. Planned parenthood is the best kind of parenting.Anyway, I´m all cried out on this one, sorry if this was morbid but these things way heavy on my heart sometimes. Hopefully, the kids marching in the parade will make this country better for everyone the future is in their hands.

1 comment:

  1. Gladys - you are such an incredible person! It is hard to hear about how difficult things are there, but it is uplifting to hear you talk about doing all you can each time to help these kids. Just like you were at camp =) Very selfless, and caring! My sister can understand the aspect of feeling guilty for being adopted and brought out of a bad situation when so many others were left in it. I try to remind her that because of that - she is able to be more compassionate and giving towards those less fortunate than she is, and is in a situation to make a difference, however small that difference is. I think that you make a huge difference in people's lives just by being you!! <3 Naomi from Alaska =)

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