A couple of years ago, I traveled from Cancun, through Belize and Guatemala, and on to Honduras. I've had a lot of amazing experiences in my life but this is one of the top two months that I remember. (The other, if you are curious, was my return to Liberia this year.) It wasn't discovering the Maya ruins of Chichen Itza, Tikal or Copan that made the trip so memorable. It was the amazing personal connections I made along the way. This was my second trip to this region and I was on a mission to find some people I photographed on the previous trip. I'd drawn some portraits of those who crossed my path. I wanted to see if it might be possible to give prints to some of the individuals who inspired me. I'd never been able to do this in the past.
I had success beyond any expectations. Imagine the shock that these strangers experienced. First of all, they were amazed that anyone would take the time to draw their portraits. Secondly, they were shocked that I made the effort to look them up. Javier, once a mighty Aztec king in my photograph, hugged me. Two Aztec warriors on the beach were so grateful that they each plucked a feather from their headgear and very formally presented them to me. You know they can't do that too often.
I'm not sure which of us was more moved.
And then on my return home, riding the bus to the airport, I sat in front of this young man who had the most "wonderful" time in Cancun. He talked loud and long about all the different parties he attended in Mexico. Seriously? If your only reason to travel to another country is to drink all you can possibly consume, there is no reason to own a passport. Save yourself a lot of money and stay at home. I was truly sorry for the young man. I had such an amazing experience on this trip and this traveler simply had no clue.
You have one guess as to who sat behind me on my flight out of Mexico.
And now this brings me to this week when headlines like "Liar, Liar, Speedo on Fire!" embarrass our country and totally offend another. I know I've made mistakes. I know I've told lies. I know I'm not perfect. But, this situation is way beyond "boys will be boys". It has me shaking my head again how some people can travel to the ends of the world and completely miss out on what they really should experience. The best of Brazil is not in some nightclub that remains open until dawn and leaves you incapable of acting maturely and responsibly.
In this whole situation, I think there is one hero who has almost totally been ignored by the press. One Brazilian man, who spoke English, tried to help resolve the situation at the gas station. Imagine just how very brave that was! Those Olympians were big men, big drunk men doing disorderly things. I don't think I would have been brave enough to step in front of them and try to ease any situation. He's the unsung hero in all of this, and he is certainly the kind of person I hope to meet in my travels. He is the best of Brazil.
I know we live in a culture where everything celebrities do, both good and bad, makes the news. I'm much happier being the most non-famous world famous artist around. My art is used in schools around the world and my murals are in twenty-four countries and counting. Yet, nobody knows who I am when I arrive on the scene. Still, I gather cultural experiences and friends who sincerely want me to return, after each mural experience. I think I'm doing something right.
Now, you get one guess as to where my next mural location is scheduled. I'm hoping for no international scandal or national embarrassment. And, I know I will not be out all night long in search of a hangover.
Yep, Brazil.
RSS Feed