Carrying Stones
After going through my usual routine yesterday, I went outside to see what several people from the local church were doing. I saw many of the church members walking up to a partially dug out foundation and dropping large stones, precariously perched on their heads to the ground. When I asked someone what was going on, he said, ‘You didn’t hear me this morning? I was yelling at 6 am for people to come and help carry stones for the new pastor’s house.’
To build a house with a good foundation in our village, people have to carry stones from in the forest to the house’s construction site. So, not wanting to be the lazy white man, I said, ‘Let me go carry stones too!’ This was a bit of a shock to the man, but more of a shock to every passerby who was already carrying. Upon arriving at the quarry, a man tried to convince me to carry a stone that was smaller than what the women were carrying. Without feeling too offended, I pointed at a reasonable sized stone and said that it was the one I wanted. With a little disbelief, the man helped me to hoist is on my shoulder. (As opposed to balancing on my head, which I am unable to do after being raised for years in the Western world) I ended up making 3 trips that morning and 3 the next and it was great seeing the reaction of others.
I derived a slight satisfaction out of proving wrong the stereotype they had of me. But at the same time, I realized 2 key facts about the situation. One was that the people really cared about my safety. A few times, they tried to dissuade me from continuing, fearing my awkward 6’7” frame would slip under the weight of a stone. They took ownership in keeping me safe. The second fact is that they were stronger than me. I saw men twice my age balancing stones on their heads larger than I could carry. They have grown up in a hard, manual labor environment where if you don’t use your muscles to work the ground, you don’t eat. I myself, have never had to hike several kilometers each way to my farm to make sure food is on my family’s plates. So in the end, I could understand their apprehension and genuine concern against letting me carry the stones.
