Spontaneous Contentment

"Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: 

it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility" 

William Wordsworth

Life here in Ecuador is at a much slower tempo, time stretches out under the slow swaying of the palm trees.  The midweek days are a balance of schooling and water time which is dictated by the ocean, not a clock. 

"Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea." 

Hank Scorpio

"A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose."

Tom Wilson

From necessity we foray into town for groceries and an assured injection of hustle and bustle.  The 'open air seafood store' has the freshest produce.  In the predawn light it is wonderful to watch the boats head out to sea.  While swinging in our hammocks in the late afternoon sunshine we notice them returning.  We then follow their wakes back to the main beach to see what the catch of the day might be.  

"There are two types of fisherman - 

those who fish for sport and those who fish for fish." 

Author Unknown

The locals even manage to understand our broken Spanish requests for the biggest shrimp available - por favor.

"One man's fish is another man's poisson" 

Author Unknown

It's great to see Jasmin has inherited the mermaid-like iodine appreciation from me.  Of course she already knows how to drink tea while balancing in a hammock.

"Life is like a cup of tea it's all in how you make it" 

Author Unknown

The weekends, I am learning with delight, are hangout times with the Ecuadorian families that extend around us.  They are teaching us the art of spontaneous contentment and mutual enjoyment of each other. Dionysus smiles down upon our family every time these wonderful people include us in their lives. 

"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. 

Nowadays everybody's crazy."

Charles Manson

The kid's have developed a crazy game which is a cross between sliding around the wet patio and playing roulette with a broken bone or two.  

I fear "hide and go seek pressure hose" is going to end in tears.  But who can blame them for wanting to blow off a little steam after coping with me as their math teacher?

"Only in math problems can you buy 60 cantaloupes and nobody asks what the hell is wrong with you." 

Author Unknown

Although I have to admit this time around the homeschooling1 is actually a joy in comparison to our last experience of it.  Greg has embraced the History and English lesson challenges while I am counting out the Math and Science encounters.  I think the kids are even starting to enjoy all the freedoms that casa escuela bring.

"If you think sunshine brings you happiness, 

then you haven't danced in the rain." 

Unknown.

Greg is in Ecuadorian photographic heaven.  The soft golden light bouncing around this paradisal setting is creating a flurry of motor driven camera clicks particularly around sunrise and sunset.  After the sun sets we can often be found nursing a nightcap and delighting in the images Greg captured that day or watching his library of oceanic movie clips on Youtube.  

"When I was in grade school, they told me to write down what I wanted to be when I grew up. 

I wrote down happy. 

They told me I didn't understand the assignment, 

I told them they didn't understand life"

Unknown

Every day brings spontaneous contentment from the simple tranquility and joy of time with each other. This kind of equanimity must surely be the reward for daring to follow our dreams.