I recently heard someone say, “Culture is like the water fish swim in.You don’t realize how important it is until you’re out of it.” That has certainly held true for me in the short time that I have been living in Guatemala. The culture here is rich and many of the people are open and willing to share their homes and traditions with an interested visitor, so my experience has been enriching. However, there remain gaps in our understanding and communication because culture and cultural differences go far deeper than we are able to see. Therefore, they are often difficult to identify and even more difficult to understand let alone resolve. Perhaps for this reason, we end up using shortcuts, which too often take the form of force. This force is particularly evident where religion is involved.

I don’t claim to be an expert on religion, my own or anyone else’s.What I know is only my personal experience and the experiences that people of my own faith and others have chosen to share with me.
 I believe that religion is an innate and important part of our humanity and I don’t wish to criticize its existence. However, along with being an enormous asset and source of strength, religion can also be one of our most caustic weapons. With time and fervor religion and dogma begin to take on a life of their own, almost as independent and tangible as that if their creators.

Like all species, religion evolves within an ecosystem.
 It strikes a balance with the culture, resources, and needs in its environment.Scarce or important resources are sacred. A code of conduct reflects the needs and expectations of the culture and guides the interactions of the community. Stories and lessons of cultural identity are passed on to successive generations.

But what happens when we take this species out of the cultural context in which it developed?
 If done with knowledge and consciousness, it could adapt and add to the diversity of the area where it is introduced. However, when done with force, it could easily follow in the path of the cane toad in Australia or the zebra mussel in the lakes of Minnesota and become and invasive species that causes a grave imbalance and loss of important resources and heritage. Scarce water or plants that were previously sacred and treated with respect become part of a domain to be dominated and used with little discretion. Respect for elders and traditional wisdom is replaced by a value for the youth and physical ability, and causes upheaval and discontinuity within families.

Of course, the results depend on the disposition and cultural awareness of the people introducing a religion to a new area.
 As I said, it can be an informative and diversifying experience for everyone involved, but only if done with awareness, tolerance, and a desire from both sides to gain understanding.

 
One of my favorite pastimes is indulging in a good book or music with a riveting melody or pensive lyrics. As a Peace Corps volunteer in a somewhat rural area in Central America, both of these things are hard to come by (in English) and expensive. I, of course, have my iPod, and the few books that I could fit in my suitcase. The Peace Corps office, much to its credit, also has a library of books (mostly in English) left behind or donated by other volunteers. I am very much appreciative of the opportunity that this affords me, but I have had a hard time finding books that interest me. There is a surplus of romance and mystery novels and a conspicuous absence of classics.So, this past week I downloaded the Barnes and Noble eReader and signed up for an online account on their website. With my download and account, I received a free e-copy of a pocket dictionary and five classic novels (only two of which I have read).

In the past week, I have purchased three more e-books and spent countless minutes browsing online book clubs and digital titles.
 At first, I was simply excited about cheap and easy access to titles I had been meaning to read for ages (since many of the Barnes and Noble classics collection are available in digital format). However, I have found myself daydreaming about e-book possibilities. With smartphones and data plans, I could avoid ever having to carry a huge purse again! Those who know me know that every purse I buy has to accommodate at least the following: a cell phone, keys, and two pens (black and blue) in a smaller pocket, minimal makeup, planner, journal, and a good book. This kind of technology could mean that a bag would only have to accommodate a smartphone, keys, one pen, and my journal (which doesn’t feel quite the same digital). I may one day become a complete blog convert, but I am sure that the day is far off. I love the feel of writing on paper, and I don’t quite trust my internet connection (or phone battery) to be there every time a thought comes into my head.

This line of thought led me to thinking about a home organizing show I saw once where they put an entire (very large) cd collection onto an external hard drive and got rid of the hard copies.
 How far are we from doing away with bookshelves, cd collections, and entertainment centers? Will our children carry a Mac notebook in place of a Mead notebook? What does this mean for dating?

To some of you that last question may have seemed discontinuous.Think about it.
 The books, movies, and cds that a person has tell you an enormous amount about them. What their sense of humor is (Big Chill or Borat?), if they are studious (non-fiction or the 10 minute toilet reader?), and even their political leanings (Ani or Alan Green?).With a move of all media to an external hard drive, evidence would be virtually (no pun intended) inaccessible to observation while they are finding their car keys or changing their shoes. What’s more, how much a person has says almost as much about them as what they have. Personally, I know that the advent of the iPod has meant that my Vengaboys cd from high school has stayed around long past its expiration date.

If the space that an album, book, or movie takes up is only a question of mega bytes on a hard drive (which are increasing exponentially in capacity and decreasing equally in size), will we ever get rid of our outdated media again?
 Filling a box for the local book sale or reselling old cds is one thing, but what is the motivation to push delete on your online library or iTunes account? Does Moore’s Law mean that we can afford to hoard?

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    Poetry/Essays

    Ever since I was little I have enjoyed playing with words.  I recently went through some of my old journals (which I have been keeping since my freshman year of high school) and dug up some of my favorites.  Some of them I revised a little, and some I left as is.  Not all of the sentiments still ring true, but it is an interesting experience for me to reread and share them.  It's a little like opening an old letter from someone you haven't talked to in ages.  I am still writing plenty and I'm sure that there will be more poems and essays about my current experiences here soon.  Buen provecho!

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