You Can’t Wrap Your Arms around a Memory

When I was thinking about what I was going to write about this week, I had decided I was going to a two part piece on the national election this coming Sunday. I mean it doesn’t get much bigger than an election.

But like most things in Panama, I was thrown a curveball. And the curveball ended up being bigger than the election. The fishing cooperative in my community received news on Monday that they would be awarded the money they had long been asking for.

The joyous news brings to a conclusion of a year of working to try to secure the funding. Led by promises and patience, the leaders of the cooperative hung tough and didn’t give up when that was such an easy option. For that, I’m extremely proud of them.

The size of the funding is pretty outstanding. Fishing equipment isn’t cheap. And there is a lot of work ahead in getting this project off the ground. I’m certain it will be a challenge, but, I hope, ultimately a fulfilling one.

Soon enough the pieces will fall into place. But before all that starts, I can’t shake the image of when we came out of the meeting with the news. The cooperative president – my counterpart Sergio – jumping around like a little kid who just got what he wanted on Christmas Day.

Normally, it would have been a great time for a photo, but I was without my camera. In this case, it didn’t matter. That picture is forever burned into my memory.

It’s something I’ll never forget.