Devils Climb to Angelic Heights
Lightning, thunder and rain ripped open the early evening sky. Metal patio roof panels flapped and waved like flower petals in swirling gusts. This shaky refuge reeked of scenes from Dante’s Inferno, without the attendant heat and flames. Nevertheless, amidst the chaos and sodden air, hope floated over rivers of rain.
Thus ended of our day of studying happiness in Chocala, Guatemala. Before, during, and after that day I witnessed devils, Sun Devils to be exact, behave contrary to their satanic moniker. Before the monsoon, food and drink were cheerfully shared and support freely given on the bus. Spanish translations were made, ideas brainstormed and constructive criticism dispensed. Happiness was not only the work at hand, but the prevailing mood.
The spirit of giving extended beyond our little tribe. On our return from dinner one evening, several members of our group spent hours comforting and caring for a distraught woman living on the streets of Antigua. Most of us didn’t know of their mission until they returned after midnight.
In Usmatlan, a member of our group reported a family begging in the neighborhood where we were gathering happiness data. A family member needed medical treatment and they had no money. Cash poor ASU students kick-started a fundraiser and commandeered the bus to find the family. Following a fruitless search, funds collected were designated for donation to a local charity.
That hellish night, rivers of rain streamed by me on the tile patio as I lay there with a badly fractured wrist. When I surfaced from a shock-induced blackout, my understanding of the world changed. After my fall, I entered a new reality where a small community of Sun Devils rose to the angelic ranks. Those experienced with first aid rushed to help and while others hastened to comfort me. Two with Spanish language skills nursed me in the ambulance en route to the clinic and translated my interactions with its medical staff. Several gently helped me change clothes and clean up after returning to the hotel. Others carefully tucked me into bed and helped me settle into sleep.
My last four days in Guatemala, this Sun Devil choir joyfully carried luggage, brought me food, protected me from jostling crowds and lifted my mood with bawdy limericks. Every one of them gave me strength through acts of kindness and love. And, my heart was, and still is, filled with gratitude for their generosity.
In Guatemala our newly formed family studied happiness, found purpose, and shared love. We learned that happiness is not derived from possessions but from a job well done, a family’s love, good food and drink, and caring communities of people.
My experience in Guatemala reinforces the idea that happiness is built in communities that tend to the social, psychological and physical needs of its members. When we work together as a community, the better angels of our nature appear and happiness follows, no matter how deep the wounds or deficiencies. This knowledge will follow me into every community development project I undertake.
Our itinerant Sun Devil community proved that nurturing and caring for fellow members provides opportunities to increase happiness for all.