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| A few of us hanging with our awesome host family, the Shendos. |
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During this past winter break between the fall and spring terms, I was lucky enough to go on an immersion trip to the
Pueblo of Jemez (near Albuquerque, New Mexico) with 14 BC undergrads, another grad student, and BC staff representative. I was actually a last-minute fill-in, a stunt double, for the faculty adviser from last year's trip, who was unable to make it. Ah well, his loss was my gain, for it was a memorable trip and outstanding experience I will not soon forget.
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| Two natural wonders - the NM landscape and I! |
How to summarize this trip? Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this trip was worth a thousand pictures. You do the math. Out of respect to the people of Jemez, however, I kept the photos to a minimum. Because I forgot to bring my journal on the trip, I will also keep the words to a minimum (for me). What is left is an assortment of imperfect impressions from an eminently impressive experience.
During my meatheaded years of white male adolescence, I was cynically suspicious of diversity programs, closing myself to what I saw as politically correct sentimentality. As I have gotten older and been blessed with an array of powerful experiences of other cultures, however, that narrow, reductive view has fortunately receded, replaced with an emerging appreciation of cultures that are not mine. Why diversity? Quite simply, people from other cultures know many things that I do not, things about how to live, what is important, and where to find meaning.
Nowhere was this truth clearer to me than in the Pueblo of Jemez. The place and the people of Jemez are like none other, and they taught me quite a bit about life. Below are three lessons that, I hope, will stay with me for life:
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| Our bowling crew - "spare" us the silly faces! |
Open-handedness - Never have I met a people as generous and hospitable as the people of Jemez. They opened their homes to us and fed us wholesome, tasty breakfasts, lunches, and dinners every day. I especially enjoyed the tortillas, which in my wisdom I called "flatbread," earning me quite a bit of laughter at my expense! In any case, the table fellowship was wonderful, as our host families truly enjoyed sharing meals with us and letting us into their lives. My family, the Shendos, were a lot of fun, and they made my experience wonderful. From top to bottom, they were awesome people: Maria Margarita, Cheryl, Brandon, Kiera, Brianna, and even Keenan (j/k dude!). And, of course, there was Kevin, the sage director of education on the pueblo and the coordinator of our experience at Jemez. I loved breaking bread with all these people, and was fed in body and spirit.
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| Best lunch ever. |
Poise, dignity, and respect - While the people of Jemez were so generous and open with us, they preferred we did not take photos on the pueblo or pepper them with questions about their culture - though they did answer all we asked. Instead, they encouraged us to watch, listen, and learn - to take everything in with the senses of the soul wide open. It reminded me of something I heard once: that we were given two ears but only one mouth for a reason! The people of Jemez, while quick to laugh and enjoy our company, bore a dignified bearing blending poise, wisdom, and above all respect - respect for elders, respect for the earth, and above all respect for the unique culture that made them who they are. They knew who they were as a people, were proud of it, and rightfully so.
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| We put the "hot" in "hot springs!" (: |
Community - Finally, the Pueblo of Jemez impressed me as a tight-knit community where everyone knew each other and had each other's back. The Pueblo was a small world, and it seemed that everyone was family. If you grew up in the Pueblo, everyone knew whom you were and whom your family members were - over many generations. What a sense of self this created! The pervasive simplicity, community and togetherness of the people of Jemez proved a decisive feature of our experience, welcoming us into a family that embraced us as soon as we arrived, and will never let go of our hearts.
In closing this post, I could go on and on about the cool things we saw and did on our trip to Jemez - the starkly beautiful landscape of New Mexico; the good times we had bowling, hiking, and hitting the hot springs; the long van rides rocking with music from various I-pods; the service experiences on the Pueblo; the group reflections on our day's activities; and of course the Pueblo's annual buffalo dance that exhibited the above lessons in one concentrated, powerful package of sights, sounds, and impressions. Yet I have already written too many words for the taste of the folks of Jemez, for whom less is more when it comes to verbosity. I know that Kevin and family will laugh at me, again, for my tendency to flood the world with words!
Suffice it to say that I am grateful to the BC students - especially Justin - for inviting me onto this trip and tolerating my erratic driving; and of course much thanks to the people of Jemez for allowing me into their world and providing a home for me. They say that prayer, at its best, begins and ends with "thank you," and so I say thank you, thank you, thank you for this experience.
