![\"A](\"http:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/files\/2011\/08\/Zoila.jpg.jpg\")
<\/a>Zoila photographed by David Pace<\/p><\/div>\n
After our official walk I talked informally with Zoila in Spanish. Her expression was calm but what she told me about the conditions of the poor people living in the slums was overwhelming. She remarked especially about the children. Some women would have up to eighteen children to feed. Some children would end up involved in prostitution, sexual abuse, or even sell their organs.<\/p>\n
When I arrived at my hotel late at night, I tried to assimilate the stories I’d heard during the day. Some nights I could feel a deep sadness for the tremendous suffering of these people. Other nights I felt a growing sense of admiration for their courage, faith and tremendous love for the world. \u00a0How did Zoila manage after all those years to be there, to be with the poor, to be present to their experiences and their needs?<\/p>\n
The more I reflected on it, the more I felt the courage of her presence in other people’s lives. Her stories and experiences emphasized \u00a0the power of being able to listen to each other, and to \u2018accompany\u2019 others. I wanted to capture that, the power to be open to others, even in the midst of difficulties and challenges. I wrote this poem after spending the first day in the Madre de los Pobres parish:<\/p>\n
OUR FUTURE<\/p>\n
<\/a>The school Fe y Alegria photographed by David Pace<\/p><\/div>\n
Our future is in the here and now
\nIn the village without water
\nIn the child without shoes
\nIn the mother with the empty pot of food.<\/p>\n
Our future is in the here and now
\nIt is being written
\nIn the hours we spend in forgetfulness
\nIn the minutes we don\u2019t allow them to speak
\nIn the second they are looking at us
\nwithout being seen<\/p>\n
Our future is not a future without them
\nWe don\u2019t exist when they stop existing
\nWe die when they do.<\/p>\n
Living close to the mystery of our lives, writing about it, involves really paying attention to the person in front of you. When you can really \u201csee\u201d the person in front of you, then you can really understand and help this world. I also believe that sharing with people this basic element of life helps us get closer to our authentic self. \u00a0It opens the door to a new way of experiencing our life \u00a0with\u00a0 the capacity to reveal different modes of consciousness, understanding and self expression in a deeper world.<\/p>\n
So now ask yourself, \u201cAm I experiencing things in an authentic way? \u00a0How is my writing affecting the way I understand this world?\u201d Allow yourself to visualize a more authentic way of being in your creative work and in your life.<\/p>\n
Juan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
These days I am preparing my next trip to El Salvador. I am excited about teaching again at the University of Central America (U.C.A.) for the Casa de la Solidaridad Program.\u00a0\u00a0 Years ago, visiting El Salvador for the first time … Continue reading