Playground Talk

After naptime, the 5 of us left home to walk to the playground.

We texted to our neighbors to join us, and then we were 8.

When we reached the park, the gates were locked.  Playground plans were foiled.  As we discovered this, a crew stepped out of a car which had just parked.  Speaking English, they expressed their dismay at the locks.  Our companions knew them - they are from the embassy as well.  Our companions invited us all back to the garden around their condo.  And then we were 14 plus 1 dog.

After we arrived, we texted Jeannine and Rob.  We connected with them a few times before arriving, but hadn't yet made facetime.  They walked up, and then we were 17.

The group of us spent a lovely afternoon standing around watching the kids and the dogs chase each other around the yard.  We talked vacations and housing and groceries and music class.  And the conversation inevitably turned to security. 

Here's what I thought:  Being up on our hill, overlooking the city and locked in with so many keys, we are likely above the turmoil and danger which could arise with the coming death of Hugo Chavez. 

Here's what I learned: We are up and out of the city, this is true.  We live in a fairly safe neighborhood, this is true as well.  We can walk during the day and we can feel comfortable at the park.  I'd liken our safety situation here to our situation in St. Louis - be smart, watch out, and you'll probably be alright.  But someone with a gun could ask for your wallet at any minute, so be on your guard.  Sadly, this is not the end.

Our neighborhood is a popular one for break-ins, where a team of armed robbers overpower the vigilante or guard at the gate, who lets them into the stairs leading up to our door.  This is the bad news.  The good news is that the vigilante does not have any of the 4 keys needed to get from the hallway into our apartment.  My takeaway from the conversation?  I will not be opening any doors without a phone call alerting me to who is coming.

So, we take the good with the bad.  I must be on my guard much more than I thought, and I am thankful for the many keys on my chain.  But we also seem to have landed in a very warm community, where people watch out for each other and enjoy each other's company, where people share even what they have very little of.  Surely this blessing will outweigh the challenges.