Santa Catalina, Panama is a town that forces you to slow down a bit, allow your self to breathe a little bit deeper and smile a little bit easier. The heat of the sun sinks into your skin, warming your soul. The water slips over you, cooling, for a moment, and dries salty on your skin. The people all wave, smiling, "Buena....hola..." as they stroll with either a child on their hip, a surfboard under their arm or atop a mustang, herding a group of cattle down the road (this is the traffic). The children offer fish they have caught (that don't quite seem of legal size, but you accept anyways because doing anything else would be an insult); the dogs meander in and out of yards, in and out of the road (there are not many cars to worry about), breeds so mixed there is no telling what specific breed they may have originated from. Even without electricity, running water, refrigeration or some with out even floors, or beds, they are proud people- men working hard building homes in the sun all day for 15$ if they are good workers. Until my father drilled a well and offered fresh water to his neighbor, Adan and his family washed themselves, their clothing and drank from the creek abutting their land. The town closes at ten pm; no clubs, bars or hotels eliminates any light pollution and we look out at the sky like we have never seen stars before- their brilliance engrossing.
Be grateful for what you have. Savor that clean water running from your filtered faucet. Trying saying hello to strangers on the street. And relish in the fact that there are still places in the world untouched by modern marvels and free of modern chaos.
