Journal 20 - Holy Ground and Respect for People That Came Before Me

“Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes, for the place we are approaching is holy. Else we may find ourselves treading on men’s dreams. More serious still, we may find that God was here before our arrival.”

What an eloquent idea. As I read Oman's "Baskets and Dancing Blankets" I was struck by his argument and especially this quote. It's true that often we enter another culture with our own ideas of what is superior, but in doing that, we create a barrier between ourselves and an opportunity to learn and understand the people and community we've entered. It limits us from learning, but it also limits us from understanding what is really occurring around us. The quote helped me begin thinking about my project from a different aspect than I ever have before. In the clinics I'll be visiting in Ghana, there are methods and efforts that workers have adopted or developed that help them survive and sustain their effort in this community. The things that they have accomplished in these communities is directly related to what they have developed. Was I really thinking that I could just enter their community and identify their resources and needs, diagnose ways they could improve, and understand the needs of the clinic WITHOUT first finding out what they have already done to improve things and what their goals and objectives with the clinic really are? I know this would be a challenge because often in my life I walk into a situation analyzing everything, mentally noting what works and what is dis-functional and possible reasons why. I rarely have the patience to first ask what has already been attempted, what has already been improved, what the people that were here before me feel they have done and how they feel they have succeeded.

I know it's important for real understanding of a place and people, but do I have the patience to do it? And could I really understand them and succeed in my research aims if I didn't do this? Even if they explained their goals for the clinic, would I understand them or respect those ideas the way I should? But if these efforts mean everything to these people, I will accomplish nothing and possibly have a negative impact if I don't first consider those efforts.