Sometimes you need to squint a little

Squinting a little, to blur the focus and see the big picture is often a good idea. 

Here in Haiti, it helps me to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and to ignore the less savory parts of the landscape.  It's a strategy that I need to remember to use every day.

Here's an example.  Our new gardener, Junior, wanted to get the new wheelbarrow reinforced before he started using it.  And he had no way to get the wheelbarrow to the welder to attach rebar to the edge as he thought we should do. 

We could have been dismayed that Junior was not satisfied with the new tools Kathy had just purchased for him.  Or we could squint.  Squinting helps me celebrate his forward thinking and ingenuity.

Here he is, first contemplating the problem, taking a shot at it, and then trying again.

Hmmmm

Nope

Maybe

It seems to be working!

 

 

We walked by a voodoo establishment this morning.  The artistry was quite amazing.  But I needed to squint past the flaking paint to really enjoy it.

 

 

 

How about the very large billboard across the street from the guesthouse.  Is it incredibly ugly, staining the neighborhood?  Or is it showing business progress in Haiti? 

 

 

"Kè kontan" can be translated as "happy heart." 

 

If you look closely, you can see a number of young people hanging out the back of a crowded taptap. 

How can they be content with where they are? 

We know they're hot and sweaty, and certainly not comfortable, even if they are drinking a malt drink.

 

But squint a little.  Isn't it sending us a message that we need to see every morning as we greet the day?