Michelle May

One day while we were doing Physical Therapy (PT) in a village clinic with some of the patients the UM had discharged, a man strumed on his guitar.  I just watched video I shot of the PT team in action while we were there- the sounds of the man playing his guitar in the background are haunting. Although the patients had smiles on their faces since they made so much progress (many walked when before that thought they needed a wheel chair!!) the music was a somber reminder of the reality on the ground.  As i watched this video i was finally able to start to feel some of the emotions that i had to hold back on at the time- so that i could keep going and focus on what i was doing- also not good to cry in front of patients b/c you are so sad about something they cannot easily escape, rite?!  Something that is always in the back of my mind in Port au Prince is the question of why they have been born into what they have and why i was born where i was.  It makes no sense that people who are poor, work hard, and only want simple things have gotten shat on (4 lack of a better word)… meanwhile there is culture just north that rewards individualism, greed and self promotion.  Whenever I step foot back into the US i have this shock- the individuality and selfishness is acidic when you have been away. I often want to shake people back in the US and say “Wake up- do you know how lucky you are- you do not need all you have- give it to someone else- or help someone else- quit thinking about your wardrobe or image!!”   Of course, I can;’t do that, so sometimes I am simply a bit reclusive after trips- things outside seems vulgar, fake and excessive.  People jabbing away on their cell phones are the worst in my book.  I am trying to learn to roll with it a bit better than that- for whatever lessons i need to learn- i should focus on evolving my own judging habits, rather than telling others what they ought to do.

Tags: Haiti, physical therapy, relief work