Drizzly Friday

I woke up this morning to a familiar sound. Rat tat tat a tat....the lovely sound of rain on a tin roof. I thought, no, that's not right-but upon peeking out my window I saw the familiar drizzly scene and sighed. At least I'm prepared for a rainy day-new dvds, yummy snacks, and bella got to play with her buddy Gold (my host brother's hugemongous husky dog) All Day yesterday so she's not too disappointed about not going out today. But I had planned to work in the park today-I can see that plan going down the drain with the drip drip drip of this drizzly rain.


The town is mourning the tragic death of one of their own-a young guy who was a close friend of many, including my counterparts and my host brother. He attempted suicide by grabbing onto the electrical wires and was brought to the hospital in xela, where he died three days later. His friends and family were further upset by graphic photos published in the paper yesterday of the firemen taking his body down from the electrical pole, along with accusations that he was up there trying to steal electrical cables.

Don't think I've mentioned before that there is a newspaper published here, of the tabloid variety, called Nuestro Diario that publishes uncensored pictures of dead bodies after accidents, gunfights, etc. I've always been a little shocked and disturbed by this paper, and its popularity, but until yesterday hadn't thought about how the friends and family of the deceased would feel about such photos being published for entertainment and shock value.

People here were upset by the article, but the paper sold out anyways. My host family looked up the article online last night and were looking at the pictures, I turned away. Even the grandkids were in the room and saw the photos too. I dont know why this rubbernecking behavior is so prevalent here, the attraction to gore and death... Are they desensitized? Are we too sheltered from it?

Right on time, the marching band is starting to play outside to start off the fanfare and funeral procession that I hear will last most of the day. Uniting to mourn the loss of a beloved member of the community, coming together to ease their pain and share the burden with each other. They are reminded that life is short and precious as they try to make sense of one of their own ending his own life. Despite all the hardships of life in Guatemala, suicide is rare-making this loss even harder to understand.