Meet Me at the Crossroads

The reading for this week was a very interesting one as some of my classmates previously mentioned. It was a pleasure to read the work of an individual not unlike ourselves. What Jesse Morgan did is very similar to the experience that we are anxiously awaiting. He appears to have a very specific goal for his visit that may not exactly define our reason for traveling to Guatemala, but is still interesting to consider. Although we are largely concerned about the time we will be spending at Primeros Pasos, we will also be spending a considerable amount of time with our host families. It may not be completely appropriate to attempt to discern their deepest thoughts about religion and other themes discussed in this writing. It may, however, be to our advantage to talk with our host family about their own personal experience of change in Guatemala if they have sensed any. There is a possibility that we would able to identify some areas that relate or correspond to some of the things that we have been reading in this class. Reading this selection from a student gives me some ideas or questions I would like to have in mind as I mentally prepare for Guatemala. Depending on the backgrounds of our families, certain questions and answers would vary, but a question would go something like this: Have you seen any cultural shifts or changes in your community? If so, do you identify those changes as an advantage or disadvantage? What is so good about change or what is so bad about change? I thoroughly enjoyed this reading because it touches on so many different aspects of a community and attempts to illustrate how change within can make a profound impact.

One thing that really stood out about this article was the construction of the Pan-American Highway in Nahuala. Morgan lists some of the things that came along with road construction such as new ideas, symbols, changes, and religion (74). Furthermore, the people of Nahuala had the opportunity to mingle with plenty of other people outside of their community and culture. As I read this description of events, I could not help but thinking about Development as Freedom. The development of the Pan-American highway opened the door to so many new ideas the Nahaulenses had probably never been exposed to. This exposure can easily be correlated to the freedom that Sen mentioned as a result of development. As we have tirelessly discussed, development and freedom are not always ideal for a community. Development in Nahuala led to changes in dress, language, and religion (85). The presence of new ideas did offer the Nahualenses the opportunity to choose their paths, but those various decisions ultimately managed to tear the community apart. In our American society where diversity is highly encouraged, the decision to take alternate routes is what this country prides itself in. In the Mayan communities of Guatemala, the opposite is true.

Javier, being the curious and educated man that he is, is standing at the crossroads. He has in plain view the many different paths that are available. He also sees the various paths that members of his community have chosen... roads of dress, roads of language, and most importantly the rocky roads of religion. Each has played its role in the separation of the Nahualenses, but none greater than that of religion. Javier even believes that people who have chosen their religious paths and continue to debate about the legitimacy of their route have lost their way and purpose for their journey. Morgan mentions that a key component of the Indian or Mayan culture is shared communal accomadation and unified absorption (61). The development of the highway brought with it freedom through its new ideas. One of those ideas had the unforunate consequence of dividing the community because the people failed to accomodote and absorb. Religion tore apart the people of Nahuala. The development in Nahuala did add a certain dimension of freedom to the community, but at the same time made it extremely difficult for the community to peacefully operate as it once did. Javier is at the crossroad because there was once a time when the Nahualenses would meet there as a community. With development, however, things have changed and that time unfortunately appears to have passed. So much for development.