Monday, June 25 – Silver, sparkling skyscrapers tower over Asunción, a glistening image of success, affluence, and socioeconomic stability. Once one’s gaze retreats from the comfort of the clouds, however, black tents are scattered below.
As we walked through Asunción on Sergio’s tour, I was suddenly confronted with a strong smell of fire and immediately noticed the poor living conditions of those around me. Naked toddlers crawled through the dirt as their parents crafted fires to provide their families with a warm meal. Wrinkled and ripped jeans dangled from a clothesline as pooled droplets of soapy water saturated the dry soil. We meandered further, and I glanced into one of the open tents.
In the midst of poverty and instability, a young family was fixated on their television as Edna Mode from “The Incredibles” danced across the screen. Unlike the two young children who watched Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl save the day from inside of their humble tent, my childhood routine included watching “The Incredibles” with my family from my mother’s pillow-adorned, Tempurpedic bed as I feasted on a generous helping of my dad’s famous spaghetti.
Despite our drastically different circumstances, both the young family and my younger self share a seemingly universal experience, using humor to connect us to those we love. A common behavior as simple as watching “The Incredibles” has the power to transcend racial, geographic, and socioeconomic boundaries and to connect us all as humans who simply want to laugh, love, and to be loved.
Sarah G., The Potomac School