Last time I blogged I was running off to Guatemala. Well, I am back now and feeling recharged. Semana Santa (Easter Week) in San Pedro was gorgeous. Streets were carpeted in colored sawdust, flowers, pine needles, fruits, and vegetables, and all of it lasted only a few hours. The ephemeral beauty of creating public artwork and then trampling it right as it is completed is amazing. It is inspiring and refreshing. I think about this a lot today as it is May Day and in a few moments I will go off to join a rally for Immigrant and Labor Rights.
In the US we have parades and rallies and community events, but I cannot think of a time when we actually all feel connected as a community as I saw in Guatemala. There everybody from the smallest child to the oldest grandmother help adorn the streets and celebrate Easter. Even the clean up is a community responsibility. I realize that in SF our community is thousands of times larger, but even in large cities like Antigua I have heard that everyone is out in the streets celebrating together and creating beautiful carpets before the many processions. Today I will look to see if the feeling of community prevails in SF.
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