My life experience in the Dominican Republic

After spending 15 days in the Dominican Republic and building a house in five of those days in a little town called La Descubierta, I have learned that life is meant to be lived to the fullest, enjoying each day for what it's worth. These people live in the poorest of places and yet they are more happy than most wealthy Americans. I met a man who asked me, "Do you have a lot of money?" I replied, "No, I really don't." And he said,"But of course you have a lot of money, you're American! Americans have so much money. All they have to do is reach up and pull the money right out of the sky. But I'm Dominican and you know where we Dominicans get our money from? From the Earth. We work the Earth, and that is where we get our money. But Americans, all they do is reach for the sky, and the money is right there in their hands..."
These people work so hard, earning very little money. But the work they do is something that they are proud of because it is what they dedicate their lives to. Work, however, is only the base from which Dominicans create their lives. The Dominican culture is filled with music, laughter, sounds of children playing in the streets. If you take even a quick look at any street at any given moment, you'll notice at least five to ten kids playing with their latest wooden truck or running around chasing each other or just sitting there enjoying each other's presence. Children are what give life to this culture. My friend, Eli, who was one of the main workers at the worksite told me that,"Children are what life is all about. I'm married and I have three kids. And let me tell you that without children, life is not worth living." I enjoyed every single moment of my time in the Dominican Republic and every single person that I met and befriended left something very special in my heart. My trip to the Dominican Republic was in reality a life experience, and I thank God that I was given the opportunity to have experienced it. As Mrs. Moquete said, "You can't change the world, but you can change the world for someone." I traveled to the Dominican Republic expecting to change someone's world, but I think that the world that was changed was my own. -Alex Madero ( jesulex@hotmail.com)