It's all happening at the zoo...

                               "I do believe it, I do believe it's true."

"...The monkeys stand for honesty.
Giraffes are insincere
And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb.
Orangutans are skeptical of changes in their cages,
and the zookeeper is very fond of rum.

Zebras are reactionaries.
Antelopes are missionaries.
Pigeons plot in secrecy
And hamsters turn on frequently.
What a gas, ya gotta come and see.
At the zoo..."
Paul Simon (At the Zoo)

Perhaps you remember this old Simon and Garfunkle song from the 1960's. It's been steadily playing in my head for days and days. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know I pay attention to such things, if only to dispel them. It's a little crazy-making to have the same lines of a song running incessantly and not be able to turn it off. Maybe you have that experience too.

It could be the abundance of wildlife here in Costa Rica that's fueling this obsession. As I've said before, there is a lot of freedom for animals--they roam from place to place, everyone seems to be comfortable with their presence--even the ones that make most people a bit squeamish. From where I'm sitting right now, I see an iguana sunning himself, and a black bird drinking from the pool. The ubiquitous chickens strut around outside the gate, and a pack of dogs run together down the beach.

An American woman whom I met in a restaurant last night, moved here two years ago and runs a program teaching children how to protect themselves from abuse and exploitation. When I asked her what drew her to this place, she answered, "It's like living in the garden of Eden with all the wildlife right there with you." She spoke of the little lizards and crabs that live in her house, just as they do here, and how much she loved that.

Here there is an acceptance of all life--something we Americans find hard to fathom. To us, ants on our countertops are a menace to be eradicated. But here, they are simply part of the landscape--brush them off and go on. These are very practical people. If you're going to live in the tropics, you must be okay with sharing the space with a few critters. In fact, you must make peace with it and with them.

I'm traveling with folks who fit most of the adjectives in Paul Simon's song, including myself. Some of us are insincere and reactionary, some skeptical and a few fit the kindly missionary pattern. Most of all, I realize how entitled we seem to feel ourselves to be--expecting to be treated differently simply because we are white Americans. This is a problem at which we, individually and collectively, need to take a long, hard look. In this beautiful Garden of Eden, I am learning how freedom really looks.

                                           In the Spirit,
                                                Jane