We recently went on a shore excursion in conjunction with a cruise. Our guide was superb. He was born and raised in Mazatlán and the narrative he shared during the five hours of our tour was everything one could hope to experience. He had no axes to grind with us. He served as an ambassador for his community, his heritage and his nation.
Early in the outing we stopped at an adobe brickyard to observe the process of making bricks. Many of the men who work at the factory are fourth-generation brickmakers. There is a market for their product. Adobe is an exceedingly common building material in Mexico.
When we got on our bus to head to another destination, Juan talked about what we had seen. The worker is productive and skilled at his craft. He is doing what he knows, like his ancestors before him. He is making four times the minimum wage for Mexico.
As far as I am concerned, the most important thing Juan said to our group of tourists was this:
Early in the outing we stopped at an adobe brickyard to observe the process of making bricks. Many of the men who work at the factory are fourth-generation brickmakers. There is a market for their product. Adobe is an exceedingly common building material in Mexico.
When we got on our bus to head to another destination, Juan talked about what we had seen. The worker is productive and skilled at his craft. He is doing what he knows, like his ancestors before him. He is making four times the minimum wage for Mexico.
As far as I am concerned, the most important thing Juan said to our group of tourists was this:
"Do not feel bad about this person."
Whenever I feel prone to voice a snap judgment about someone's situation, I will remind myself of Juan's words. I don't know the facts and I would be better off to keep an uninformed opinion to myself.
