Today I received my second Haitian haircut, this time at a
barbershop in Tabarre, instead of Delmas 75.
The room was rather narrow and long, with about 6 or 7 staff “working”
there. Surprisingly, mounted on the wall
was a very crisp and clear HD television, which was broadcasting a European
Football match. Everyone in the room
seemed to be captivated by intensity of the match, even the gentleman cutting
my hair.
As groovy Reggae sounds vibrated the shop, the calm and
collected barber attempted to cut, perhaps his only white customer’s hair of
the day. I am always amazed at how
incredibly at-ease most Haitians are.
Everyone in the shop was feeling the music, lounging in his or her
chairs, and simply existing. Not a
single person appeared rushed or worried about a thing, but instead it seemed
as if everyone had been sitting there for days.
Unlike my previous trip to the barbershop, everyone in the shop did not
stare at me as if I were an alien. I was
quite relieved about this.
Much to my relief, once again my hair turned out well and
I avoided a much-feared disaster.
Additionally, the barber also only charged me $5, which was quite a
steal – especially for a haircut. I am
always amazed at how hard Haitians will work when given a specific task. Of course there are exceptions, however, many
of my friends and acquaintances in PAP have shown me the value of work in such
meaningful ways. Sadly I am sure that I
must be quite lazy compared to many of the Haitian workers that I come
across. There is something so special
about working hard that simply cannot be defined, though a man can simply
recognize when he has put forth a long days work.
I am not sure that one way of living (having plenty or
very little) is “better” than the other, but I can say that when people are
accustomed to having very little, it seems as if their joy and treasures are
naturally in more lasting things (such as family, friends, simple meals,
etc.). Many Haitians are desperate for
work – so that they can provide for their families. They are not worried about graduate school
and weighing their options, they just need to make what they can make so that
they can survive.
As American’s, we are so incredibly blessed to have
options, but is this really a blessing or a curse? I am not sure I can answer that question but
I can say that things often cloud our view of God. Particularly as Americans, we do not realize
how incredibly wealthy we are, and whatever we do realize, we think of our
wealth as something to brag about or to only be thankful for. It is true that
we should be thankful for all of the things in our life, because God is the
giver of every good and perfect gift – however, what if our gifts often keep us
from knowing God the way we were meant to?
The questions that I have been wrestling with lately are,
how do I work in a satisfying way, so as to give glory to God? How do I enjoy the things that I have,
without making an idol out of them? How
do I enjoy the gifts that I have without them blocking my view of God? How do I avoid reducing life to having
things… to basking in things that make me feel comfortable (i.e. WiFi, Air
Conditioning, Driving a car, Snacking on food anytime, Drinking latte’s from Starbucks, Going to movies, Sleeping in a soft bed, Keeping plenty of clothes
in my wardrobe, etc.) Surely American’s do not realize that most of the world
lives without the comforts that they’re accustomed to enjoying. Should that, however, make us so much more
grateful for our belongings or our jobs – or should that make us long for the
giver of things all the more?
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