Faith in Humanity, Part 1

This goes out to those of you who, like me, require the occasional reminder that people are, indeed, inherently good.

I spent a couple of hours the other day sitting on a rock in the middle of a cow pasture, people-watching. While it might seem like a strange place for such an activity, there turned out to be plenty of people to watch. I had hiked to a local tourist attraction, Las Piedrotas, giant rocks in a field about 5 km uphill out of town. The rock I had chosen as my resting spot happened to be located right next to a tiny stream, not more than a foot wide, and less than three inches deep, that needed to be crossed in order to see all of the Piedrotas. Despite its small size and lack of power, this stream proved to be a source of considerable consternation for a significant number of sightseers. As I looked on, time after time, the scene played out like this:

A group of people would approach the stream and examine the bank for the best possible crossing point. One brave soul would eventually run and jump and then would extend her or his hand to those on the other side, offering encouragement to those who were still too scared to take the leap. For hours, I watched as boyfriends helped girlfriends, grandkids helped grandparents, friends helped friends carrying 6-packs of beer, and mothers helped their children.

Most made it across safe and sound, and a few got a little wet, but all made it to the other side knowing that they weren´t on their own and that someone was looking out for them.

A thought: I know that I´m not always good at asking for a hand when I need it, so extra thanks to those of you who have pulled me across some streams of my own.

Stay tuned: Morning mariachi