You
guessed it, I am flying again. I am losing track of days, time zones,
and pocket change. I was home in San Francisco for just 36 hours
before I repacked and headed out to visit another factory. This time
the flights were shorter and I actually spent the past two nights in a hotel
that had TV without subtitles. In Brazil the TV shows are in English
since they watch the same shows we do but they all have Portuguese
subtitles. It's really annoying since I already understand English.
This trip I stayed in McAllen Texas just north of Mexico. I have made many trips
to Mexico in my life but none like this. Usually I am on the beach in
Puerto Vallarta relaxing. That is tourist Mexico, this week I was
introduced to the real Mexico. The town of Reynosa is home to a number
of large companies who, like in Brazil, enjoy a cheap and eager labor force.
The town outside the plant is dirt poor. Each morning I looked for the
burros and carts that collect the trash. The animals were old and
tired as were the wagons they pulled. Come to think of it many of the
people looked old and tired, hey I just realized that I look old and tired
today too.
Getting
into Mexico is fairly easy. You drive in and do a little paperwork, I
have to do paperwork since I am working there, then cross the street and pay
the teller, finally walk back to your car and off you go. The quality of
cars, homes, and life change incredibly once you cross over. I was
flat out amazed that people live and work here. Ok maybe I was just seeing
the bad part. It never really got better until we reached the factory.
Like the factory in Brazil, the factory in Reynosa is clean and modern. The employees were
all very friendly and I think I am starting to understand why companies are
setting up shops outside of the United States. The people here are
happy to work, they learn English, and they appreciate their jobs.
American workers are in for a rude awakening very soon. The cafeteria
is free and each worker gets a spiffy white smock. The plant also has a
nice gym and for the unhealth conscious, like myself, a smoking area.
Yes a real live smoking area with chairs, ashtrays, and the great outdoors.
The smoking area also has another benefit, smokers have direct access to the plant managers.
Many of the managers are European so they smoke.
I spent more time talking to the plant managers than anyone else because of
this. I was the lone smoker in my group.
Work aside this trip made me once again realize how good we have it here in
the US. I don't think most people understand how most of the world
lives. They struggle to make ends meet and make a life for themselves
and their families. I saw homes built from discarded pallets and
beggars holding their babies as we crossed back across the border into
Texas. For those that manage to work in the factory life is relatively
good, but they are the minority. The people here use everything we
discard. Cars and buses that wouldn't be allowed on US roads are
utilized until they fall off their axels. Broken windows stay that way
and many homes have no more than a cloth for a door. These are images
I won't soon forget. Especially the next time I get ready to complain
about something in my life. I have a new appreciation for my
life and the many blessing bestowed over the years.
It is easy to get wrapped up in our own lives and even easier to forget about the rest of the world. We are very sheltered and protected here in the US although the media would have us believe otherwise. They broadcast stories about how we are losing jobs and opportunities to the places I have been visiting recently. This is a distorted view. Maybe if more people appreciated their lives and blessings instead of feeling like they were owed them the world might be a better a place. Selfishness is a crime of global proportions, it is no longer a secret to me why so many people resent Americans.
Perhaps
the best example of this occurred while we were waiting at the border to cross back into Texas.
A large black Hummer with Texas plates was cutting people off while the driver talked on his
cell phone. Could this be how the less fortunate parts of the world
view us? I don't begrudge the driver his blessings but did his
blessings entitle him to be rude and uncaring? In his mind it did.
Maybe we should use our powers for the greater good rather than for our own
personal satisfaction. I know that's a big nut to swallow but if we
stay on our current path we may find ourselves living in the same conditions
as the rest of the world. Enjoy your life and enjoy your blessings for
sure, but don't forget to share more than your trash with the rest of the
world.
Peace,
Sean