Chuck Yeager

Today I worked in an eye clinic with Chuck Yeager!  Of course, I didn't know it was him until later.  Oh well.

For the past two days we ran a free clinic in the loca

l school for the children and anyone else from the colonia who showed up.  We posted a sign on the fence of the school and waited to see who would show up.  Over the two days, 100 people came for eye tests, not including the students in the school.  It was basic vision testing and we gave out free reading glasses.  For those who had more serious eye problems, a referral was written out to send them to the free clinic in the center of town run by the Lions Club.  

Today I photographed at that clinic, where Chuck was volunteering.  The Lions Club is only open one day per week for about two hours, but a local eye doctor volunteers his services during that time.  Patients can be tested for more serious vision problems and they will be provided with prescription glasses.  If they are under 18 or a student, the glasses are free.  Others are asked to make a donation.

Prior to testing the vision of the adults, however, the Lions test them for diabetes.  There is a 20% diabetes rate in the cities in Mexico!  Did you know the CocaCola here is higher in sugar?!?  Yep!  So, if they test positive for diabetes, they have to maintain a certain blood sugar level for a period of time before they will be given a prescription.  The percentage of diabetes in the rural areas of Mexico is less than five...hmmmm...

I spoke with the woman who is redesigning the website for the Lions Club Eye Clinic about sharing some of my photos with them.  What I wanted to know from her was what is the message the Lion's 

would like to tell with photos on their website.  She said:

"It's all about the children!"

Rover

"I'm a rover, can you love me anyway?"  -Great Big Sea

These trips nourish my soul.  They inspire me.  They make me want to continue to grow and learn and share.  Somehow, living in suburbia is like poking a pin sized hole in my soul and slowly, sometimes imperceptibly, life leaks out.  What happens?  It is a beautiful, no gorgeous, place.  I have incredible friends, a beautiful apartment, a good job, and lots of shoes (and places to wear them).  What happens?

Then I escape.  Escape is not the best word, but there it is.  I get on a plane, or a train, or a sailboat, or drive to a place that requires four wheel drive, and life returns.  Terrifying, heartbreaking, glorious life!  I meet people who cause me to think, or ask me to give without actually asking, or remind me that life is so much bigger than we ever imagined.  

But then I turn to share my latest epiphany or joy or fear with the person who shares my heart, and there is no one there.  

I'm a rover...can you love me anyway?   

That's a rhetorical question...

Gracias!

"Gracias!" the chorus of small voices rang out as we walked into the fifth grade classroom...followed by many requests to "take my picture!"  We tested the vision of over 200 people today and provided them with the needed glasses for simple near and far sighted-ness.  Many of the recipients of glasses were children who are now able to see the board or their book clearly for the first time.  After we tested the school kids, we opened it up to the locals in the colonia.  There were a few children among this group, but mostly it was adults, adults who could not play cards or read their Bible or sew or read the paper.  The gratitude on their faces made the pain in my trigger finger worthwhile.  I shot over 1,000 images today!  Wow!

Cobblestone Streets

The streets here are paved with cobblestone and are all either uphill or down.  That effectively eliminates the four open toed pairs of shoes I brought and makes the two pairs of heels risky at best.  Luckily I miscounted and have eight pairs with me, but even in the little tennies I wore today my dogs are tired!  Hmmm...maybe will need to browse a shoe store or two here...

Today I explored the town with a local girl who is learning photography.  She showed me some great spots to shoot and refreshed my memory on how to ask permission to take a picture in Spanish.  I was supposed to teach her how to use her camera...in Spanish?!?  It was experiential learning!  Then we headed out of the heart of town into a colonia, or the bario. The local elementary school was our destination, where we will be giving eye exams tomorrow.  I learned how to perform eye tests and determine the proper lens for near and far sighted-ness.  In the morning we will be testing all of the children and providing them with glasses if needed.  While the concept is quite simple, again I question my ability to discuss their vision IN SPANISH.  Claro?  Clarisimo?  Clarito?  Oscuro???  Am I really going to be able to determine the nuances of those options from a first grader in another language?  Luckily, I am able to hide behind the lens of my camera if things get too tricky.

Estoy cansada, mi amigos.  So I'm going to say goodnight.  Thought on the front of my photo journal:  How will you give something beautiful to the world?

Buenas noches! 

The Rural Eyeglass Project

The story begins in the predawn hours at an international airport.  Actually, the story began a long time ago, but today’s story begins at the airport.  I’m sitting on the floor with my $3 bottle of water preparing to board a flight to Mexico.  I’m abandoning all responsibility for a week of adventure and growth.  The anticipation has me remarkably awake for this absurd hour of the day.  

Destination:  San Miguel de Allende. 

Purpose:  The Rural Eyeglass Project - Photography workshop

An interesting combination... humanitarian work and photography.   We will be spending our mornings working in an eye clinic in the barrio, performing vision exams, distributing donated eye glasses, and training the locals to continue the clinic after our departure.  The afternoons and evenings will be spent in photojournalistic pursuits as we attempt to tell the story of individuals through images.  Of course, there will be time to soak up the culture of the town as they prepare for the Day of the Dead celebration.  

As I prepare to board, my head is swimming with questions.  

Will I remember enough Spanish?  

Are my photography skills up to the challenge?  

Who will I meet and what will their stories be?  

Can photography help save the planet?  

Can I help save the planet?  

Is the planet even able to be saved?  

And, did I pack the right shoes???  I only brought seven pairs in my little suitcase.  Well, six plus the ones on my feet.

Here we go...