We Walk Among Giants

“Hello” I said.

I was in Deep Bay BC recently. We have a beautiful spot up there where we spend much of our summer months and I was being introduced to Rosy and Victor. They are friends of our neighbours and were taking a few days off from their summer tour of Western Canada. Victor is the leader of the Geckos, a rock band from Mexico and Rosy, his wife is the manager. They had been in Canada on tour since May and will return home in September.

And they were a breath of fresh air. Just what I needed as someone who spends too much time bemoaning the trajectory we seem to be on as a country and a society. If US President Trump isn’t lying he’s announcing that he’s the most powerful man in the history of the world, if he isn’t lining his pockets, he’s reminding us that it’s true – power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I have no great wisdom about it all, I’m left more to worry for my children, grandchildren and the generations to come. But I do despair.

And then along come two reminders, Giants as it happens. Some are obvious, others not so much.

Victor and Rosy are humble, ordinary people and by that I mean no offense. Their’s are lives well lived, not in pursuit of fame or recognition, nor wealth, nor acclaim; they simply live life with purpose and do what good people can in ways that are extraordinary.

For years now they have raised money to support several community centres in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and Bucerias through their organization, giving money to provide food security for poor families and support housing for abused women, through community centres. They call it the Mano y Mano Brigade (Hand to Hand Brigade) and you can find it on FB https://www.facebook.com/share/18rBft1FaH/ And they do all this without fanfare, without telling the world how great they are. It was simply refreshing to spend time with them.

Then, on the next day the Obama Presidential Library in Chicago was opened and with that came speeches from Michelle Obama and Barack. It was for me a cleansing, a showering of words washing off the sticky, foul , wretched rhetoric with which we have been overwhelmed each day, these past few years. As Trump describes the baseness to which we can descend, the Obama’s remind us of the heights to which we can ascend, the good that can be done by ordinary people. Giants among us.

They all serve to remind us – Michelle, Barack, Victor and Rosy – to remind us in their stark, sharp contrast, of that which we are capable, the heights to which we can sore. Perhaps that will be history’s purpose; forcing us to look into our mirror and see our reflection, not the one imposed on us, the one we choose for ourselves.

It has been hard to live to the age of 76 and still be naive. It is much easier to be angry and cynical and quick to judgement. That noise is overwhelming and someday’s leaves me bleak and in despair. So it is through moments with people like Victor and Rosy, and the Obama’s, the ‘important’ and the ‘unimportant’ among us, that we get to be reminded. We are good. We only fail when we leave it to others to do what they want, satisfied that by complaining we have fulfilled our responsibility to ourselves and our community.

I am reminded by people like Victor and Rosy that we walk among Giants. Sometimes we just don’t see them for what they are.

The Geckos’ by the way are incredible. Check out their tour dates at geckobandcanadatour.com