Monday, January 19, 2009

Travel

Posted by Terry McNichols
As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own. --Margaret Mead, anthropologist (1901-1978)
I am writing this in advance of my attempt to follow the above words of wisdom and travel once again to El Salvador. This will be my third trip in two years to a small village that I have grown to love. Our rerun post this week will give more information on that village. But I am looking forward to sharpening my ability to "scrutinize more steadily and appreciate more lovingly, my own country. " Visiting a third-world country immediately puts our wealth, our materialism, our many freedoms and our responsibilities into new perspective, and I welcome the opportunity. There are times when I question the wisdom of spending a lot of money to visit poor people, but the rewards are great and the lessons seem worth the expense. We go as friends and come back with renewed love and understanding of the role we must play in combating poverty in the world.
Hasta mi regreso!
(Photo by nep, shared via Flickr)

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