The Stand Against Cancer Posted on September 25, 2013 by bolgerst91 “Adios, primo! Ciao, primo! primo…” and a wave of the hand. I had been in Ecuador only a short time—four days to be exact—and had already found ‘family.’ I was the “extranjero,” the gringo, the foreigner. But by merely asking if I could sit down next to a few guys to watch some of the soccer being played at the local pitch, I was integrated into their communal. I was quickly offered a small glass of beer—it’s part of the local culture. You get a crate of beer and a small cup. The cup is then filled up and passed to someone who drinks it, fills it back up and passes it on to someone else. It’s a system based on the simple act of sharing, which brings the group together. While I did not have any beer to share, I happened to have a few sugar wafers, which I added to the mix, so we had a nice little picnic going. Ironically, the wafers are called “Amores,” meaning love, so they fit the context nicely; I was being introduced to brothers, cousins, children and others in the community. They even offered to share their home with me if I didn’t have somewhere to stay. They were not rich, they did not have ‘nice’ houses, merely little chozos, yet they were welcoming me as if I were their own. The extent of their generosity began to fully dawn on me… The median income in Ecuador is only $350 / month. Granted, prices there are low, but even still, that’s a hard amount to provide for a family. I realized it wasn’t about the money. They got by on what they had—and would still help each other out. Many communities had formed co-ops, in which they would take some of their profits from the past business year and put it in a fund, which could be accessed by those who were in a rough spot. For neighbors whose crop didn’t come through this year could receive a temporary boost to feed the kids and get new seed for the following crop, with the expectation that they would return the favor when they could. My South American families didn’t have the material goods. They didn’t need material goods. They made up for it in spirit and family. La familia—one of the most treasured words for most Latin Americans—reminded me of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and the universal family-hood found amidst the Okies, who survived by helping each other. Upon returning to the States I realized that the spirit I found in rural Ecuador is also at work in my own community in Upstate New York. Family, friends, neighbors, and many more are turning out to stand by our side and support my father, who is once again battling cancer. Over the years my father has given much to the community through his efforts coaching, volunteering, and just being a friendly, upbeat guy; now our community is giving back to him. Until now, I have largely taken for granted how supportive our town is. Teachers, coaches, friends, and patrons of Stacey’s Stand (my old fruit and veggie stand) all played an important role in my life for which I have had to pay little in return. Now, I’d like to pay that generosity forward. For the last few weeks of September running through October 30th, Stacey’s Stand with the support of White’s Farm Market will be temporarily reopened as “The Stand Against Cancer” selling pumpkins, corn stalks, and gourds with all proceeds going to the Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Like many cancer centers throughout the United States, Wilmot Center’s doctors, nurses, and support teams are helping thousands of families every year who are facing the difficult road that cancer paves for all those affected.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 14:40:15 +0000
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