Monday, November 5, 2012

immigration, squash, & pakistan (on the day before election day)


I just sat for two hours in the Office of Immigration, with El Salvador's National Squash coach, from Islamabad, Pakistan. After talk of family, sports, religion, and future, I began to hear my number called, and in the last seconds, had to get his take, on politics, relations, public perceptions, all that jazz. so I said: "Break it down for me."

And he did so, saying this: "you and me, we can do this. i understand you, you understand me. this is good. but were you walking on my city streets, i could not talk to you."

Why he said it, is irrelevant in my opinion to the fact that, for whatever reason, somewhere in his heart, he felt it. And i'm not making any political endorsement here, because well, surprisingly Pakistan will be one of the few places wearing red tomorrow; but come election day, may we be mindful of how we, i, americans, fit into the world, more so than how we dominate it.

ps: i am officially a permanent resident of el salvador. cheers.