Bob Marley Sunday

Bob Marley Sunday

What a week!! I have alluded to the ups and downs of life in Panama-- building a resort on a remote island, in these times, in a foreign (third world ) country, away from family and friends.  We keep making progress and then we get blind -sided by some new seemingly insurmountable challenge. For example, a powerful  local official refuses to give us Certificates of Occupancy (already paid for) for recently completed houses because we have not agreed  to his off- the- books demands (you could call it extortion, but here it is how things get done and how the “have- nots”  get SOMETHING).  We’re not talking small potatoes—his initial demand was for an insane amount of money (try 7 digits). Well, after months of negotiating we are now down to a manageable (or at least POSSIBLE) sum of ~ $28,000 in building materials. And the irony is that things like this happen on a regular basis. You know that saying, “If I had a nickel for every time,” well ….I would love to have a nickel for every time I have said, “You’ve got to be kidding- this is a joke, right?!”

Anyway, back to Bob Marley Sunday.  I guess we have been subconsciously fighting all of these seemingly random things that happen here on a regular basis and not taking time to care for ourselves and each other because there are so many demands on our time here. Earlier this week Steve and I reached a zenith of frustration and suddenly everything came tumbling down. We both at the same time hit a big thick hard wall or a very deep dark pit and it was scary. Over a few days we got through it but I have to say it was like getting caught in a riptide when the surf is up, and being tossed by wave after wave, struggling to catch your breath to the point where you are panicking- pretty frightening. Anyway, after a few really tough days we reached what I think of as a reconciliation with the reality here-- we bobbed to the surface, saw the sky above, filled our lungs with sweet air and touched sand underfoot. (Sorry- I now think in beach metaphors).   I think we know that together we can get through anything and… everything will be all right (thank you, Bob Marley).  I now add to my initial mantras, “No one got sick or died, so we can handle it.”

We also have reaffirmed that we really don’t need much to be happy and that getting back to a daily spiritual practice helps us a lot (another one of those “duh” moments).  One of Bonnie’s friends from Madison, Dylan, was killed in a car accident last weekend and we are sad with her. We are also reminded  to cultivate thankfulness as we head into November and are getting psyched about stuffing and pumpkin pie.  We are hopeful that we are really over the hump this time.  We’ll see—stay tuned and thanks for your interest and support.  Hope you have a good week in your own adventures ( yet another “duh”-- one need not travel far from home to live life as an adventure)!  Just a few pictures from the week…

This used to be a gravel parking area and now is
ready for playing ball and other horsing around in front of the hostel
(sod new on Friday).

Someone told me to get a picture of the beach this weekend as there is a huge swell coming in off the Caribbean from the hurricane going through, which often washes away a lot of the beach (don't worry- it always comes back).

I just decided to walk off the road into the jungle and snapped a photo.