Christmas Gifts

[ricknorth]

Each year we receive gifts for Christmas that will need assembly. Whether its a furniture item, electric appliance, or child's toy, we will struggle to stay focused on a set of assembly instructions written in numerous different languages.

We focus on the instructions, we turn to the project, attempting to put part A in slot B. We look back to the instructions, which have fallen off the workbench, and spend five minutes glancing over text in Spanish, French, and Swahili til we find our spot we were at; in English.

For me this time of year provides no difficulty. Quite a number of years ago I began reading all the instructions in every foreign text. Now, I have mastered Japanese fluently, as well as German, French, Spanish, and Ancient Hebrew Texts.

But, I was truly rewarded recently while traveling through the impoverished Central America country of Guatemala, when I happened upon 8 year old Carlos having a struggle assembling a lamp and a fan. First, I was curious, since young Carlos' family lived in a poor village, in a part of the village known as shanty town. I thought, "why would he need a lamp or fan when his family lives in a cardboard box with no electricity, running water, or adequate 401k retirement planning.

Never the less, I climbed down off the donkey I was riding and within minutes had assembled both products, the directions being in English and Croatian Cyrillic, of which I am a master in both. Carlos gave me that little sparkle, "thank-you American for saving us again" look and ran with the fan and lamp back to his folks.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Merry Christmas to all!!!

[lenire]

Strange isn't it. Some of us see it as helping our "fellow man" in need, and others see it as "saving em again".

I guess it just depends which flag you are carrying.

Len