After a long while, a time of rest has come--Holy Week. So, since Friday, we've been slowly unwinding, allowing all the stresses and tensions of life roll off.
Mr. Garcia, who lives just across the street in front of our house, has his grill fired up. He is meticulously attending to the meats cooking over the fire, and the smell is wonderful! He has the front door of his house open, and I hear the sounds of a soccer game on the radio. Every once in a while, I hear the tell-tale yell of the announcer, "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!" Someone has scored on one team or the other. Mr. Garcia fans the fire, turns the meat and enjoys the quiet of the night after a long week of work.
From just up the street, I hear "norteño" music...the popular sort of balladsy (is that a word?) music that tells stories of lost love, of loved ones crossing the border in search of something more, or of dreams deferred. It's not quite loud enough for me to understand the words of the song, but I hear the rhythmic bass that confirms that it's norteño...
Children are running about...in groups of two's, three's...or more. They are laughing and playing in the street. There are few cars...and because of the many speed bumps, no one really drives fast. The children pass me, waving and joking, seemingly intent upon some important task. Two girls pass by, hand-in-hand, walking slowly, talking in whispered voices. They see three young fellows talking, so they soon turn around to walk back past them, hoping--it seems--for the boys to take notice of their passing.
The family that lives to the right of our house, the Martinez family, enjoys the coming and going of all their children and grandchildren. As I sit, one couple comes out, sleeping daughter in arms, piles in their car and leaves off with waves and last words exchanged through open windows. As they drive away, another car arrives and yet another couple with three children pile out and amble into the house, greeting each other with hugs and kisses...laughter and smiles all around.
As I sit, a young couple walks buy, holding hands. The look in each others eyes, talking, smiling. Just as the get in front of me, she says something to him and laughs. He stops and feigns a hurt look on his face. She releases his hand and runs...and he follows, running, both of them laughing, disappearing up the street.
Two cats meander by, paying little attention to me. One follows the other. They may live on the street...or they may belong to someone. They aren't skinny or fat...just cats on the prowl at night.
Across the street and two houses up, the door opens. A teen-aged girl comes out with a basketball under her arm. In her other hand she has the lease to her small dog--not a chihuahua, probably some mix. Little brother and sister follow her. They are chattering happily and excitedly as the head up the dark road toward the Catholic church. The Catholics have a basketball court...and it's lighted!
A few cars are moving slowly along our street. Most of the drivers or passengers look over and greet me with a wave or a kind "Buenas noches!" Dogs bark--some close by, some farther away. The breeze blows gently, the moon bathes the world in a soft glow. I feel the tensions and stresses of the classrooms sliding off my shoulders, swallowed up in the cool of the night.
As I look around this world in which we live, I see what I always see...but often forget to see: people--regular people who laugh, love, live. I see people who want peace, who dream dreams. And, I see people that God loves so dearly...and who He has called us to love. How often we go so hard and so fast that we fail to see the world that God has put around...both the beauty of nature and the deep beauty of the people that are all around us.
May another Saturday night come soon...to be reminded of all the richness that surrounds us in this life.
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