Limitless (10-2-15)

I disagree with James Blake. There is no limit to love. I have never quite understood this song (and much less the video), but now I believe that Mr. Blake is misguided. Today Dan and I part from Escobar absolutely filled with love. Before writing me off as a naive traveler who goes abroad and falls in love with every person and every culture they see, professing the certainty of humanity’s decency and how they found themselves and realized they were not alone in the world, let me clarify what I mean by “limitless love”. 

Escobar is not Cancun. Escobar is not Rio de Jenero. Escobar is not a tourist destination. It is not a particularly poor place, nor is it very wealthy. It is not even within the city of Buenos Aires. It is dime a dozen middle class town/ city/ suburb within the providence of Buenos Aires. The entire time we have been here we have been unable to convince people that we were not here for an alternative reason. Some have hypothesized that we are: seminary students on our way to become priests, CIA agents, stupid, or just plain lost. After the initial confusion and moment of doubt, they always got over their suspicion and welcomed us with open arms. To be welcomed in a strange place is not something new for me, but there has been something novel to this experience that I have been unable to put my finger on. Tonight, among the many departing saludos (a hug and kiss on the cheek) it has become more clear. 

Since I have woke up this morning I have not been able to pass someone without receiving a hug, kiss, or both. I really do mean everyone- from the director of the school, to the group of women who clean, there has been no limit to my experience here. Relationships have met no boundaries. 

Perhaps this is a phenomena in small towns everywhere, but I have been taken back by the variety of people Dan and I have connected with. To give you an idea here are a few people we have said goodbye to today:

students from age 7 to 18, the group of parents from the school, the custodial staff, teachers, administrators, basketball teammates, women who volunteer at the church, a florist who plans weddings, maintenance staff, priests, cooks, etc.. You get the idea.

Today as I said bye too all these people and more ‘Limit to Your Love’ was stuck in my head, and all I could think of was that James Blake has never been to Escobar. Poor guy.

2 thoughts on “Limitless (10-2-15)

  1. Not sure about the music message either. I only know that just because a song gets written, it doesn’t mean the writer knows more than the next person. Go ahead and write your own song!

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  2. Let me weigh in…I think in the sadness of the song, he was referring to someone else and how they have loved and cared, not in the general quality of true love and caring.
    But that doesn’t really matter. You do. And I wish I could sit and hold you and talk to you and and and…but that doesn’t really matter either, because you know you are being held in the hearts and spirits of all of us no matter where the heck you think you can just wander off too leaving us sick with worry and sleepless nights and indigestion and diarrhea and acne…Thanks, and at 60 I really needed the acne
    Love you, you little knuclkehead

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