On a bus ride home the other day, a couple of women boarded who had young special needs children that they were caring for. A little way into the ride, one of the children started to make noises, loudly. It was pretty obvious that they wasn't going to be much the caregiver could do control or stop the sounds the child was making. It seemed a case of hitting the middle of the afternoon wall and the kid had just had it. What really got my attention was the other people on the bus. Their reaction to the disruption was non-existent. I don't mean that they were practicing tolerance. They simply weren't impacted by the noise. Now just about every US Mom can tell you horror stories about being in public and having your child become disruptive. You are almost guaranteed to receive at least some level of disapproval and judgement. I kept my eye out for any sign of irritation in the other bus passengers but it simply wasn't there. Another evening, we came home late from town on a rush hour bus that was standing room only. As more and more people tried to get on at the stops, people on the bus laughed and joked about the situation and cheerfully tried to make room for each other.
When I think about all the situations I have been in so far here, I actually can not report a single time when I saw an argument between two people, yelling in anger, obscene gestures or any kind of road rage. All of these things would be more or less common to see in the US, depending on where you live of course, with it being more prevalent in the denser urban areas. I have heard that domestic violence is a problem here and I have heard of car accidents but so far, I just have not witnessed any. It's clear that life is not easy here but people do not seem to carry the barely suppressed anger and anxiety that almost taken for granted in the US. Here people definitely have less of everything, material and monetary, but also less stress. People aren't quite as healthy here as I had hoped in many ways, especially regarding nutrition. Awareness of the problems with processed foods seems low, with most common items are loaded with MSG and trans fats. High fructose corn syrup doesn't seem to be used much, maybe because it's sugar cane country, so even though sugar is in everything, it could be worse. There aren't many organic or clean alternatives to be found either. But emotionally, there is a lightness here that is notably difference from the US.
Another notable difference is that I rarely see babies in strollers or carriers. They are typically just held by their Moms. I really get the sense that Moms and children are just allowed to be together more. Even if mothers need to work, either it is from their home or they have close family to help take care of the kids, since multi-generational living is the norm here. In our neighborhood, there is a protected area outside where kids can play unsupervised. Very young children can be found playing in the dirt, watched over by siblings and cousins. I rarely hear children crying and when they are, it is usually while they are on their way back to their Moms. It is the original free range childhood, one that is all but extinct in US society.
I will continue to compare and contrast life here with life in the US. One nice thing about having a blog is that I can express my observations without having to support them. Of course it's anecdotal evidence: it's a blog! So I fully intend to take advantage of my tiny, virtual pulpet!
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