Reality

"Stories give people the feeling that there is meaning, that there is ultimately an order lurking behind the incredible confusion of appearances and phenomena that surrounds them... Yet for me I totally reject stories, because for me they only bring out lies... and the biggest lie is that they show coherence where there is none... Stories are impossible, but it's impossible to live without them."   -Wim Wenders 

This week in my film class, we have been exploring this quote throughout our discussion of story, plot, and narration. I've been toying with it in my mind all week, connecting it to my experiences here in Ecuador, considering how difficult it is to convey in words all that I am experiencing. Stories are just a glimpse of reality, only one piece of the giant puzzle that is your life. Stories are impossible, because they never tell the entire truth of what actually occurred. The storyteller picks and chooses which aspects of the story to share, and uses tools like gestures, tone of voice, or demeanor to communicate sentiments that he or she wants you to feel. But as the quote says, we cannot live without stories. How can you answer the question Quién soy yo? (Who am I?) without a story?

It also seems that we have this psychological need for linearity and closure within our stories. How frustrating was it to watch that top spin and not know whether or not it continued to spin at the end of Inception? We also love progress and happy endings. We want to see characters' lives or attitudes improve throughout the course of a movie. My profesor told us today, "Nuestra realidad no es lineal." (Our reality is not linear). He is completely right. As the expression goes, we may take one step forward and then be forced to take ten steps back. Not every aspect of your life will have a Hollywood ending, and not all of your stories will provide closure, but these stories are so important to share- because they are reality. Today, I will share a story of reality. It will not give you closure and does not have a Hollywood ending. As a disclosure, this story is only one piece of an immense and complex story, as it is just from my perspective. I am sorry that this is not a story of happiness, adventure, or self-discovery, but it something that cannot be overlooked... and again, it is reality.

The Reality of Everyday Life for Many People in Ecuador: 

The doors to the red bus open and I step inside, clutching my things so that they are always where I can see them. A short old woman, who only stands as tall as my waist, grips her cane tightly as she limps around the bus. This women approaches each individual on the bus, repeating the same words over and over again in an exhausted voice. In Spanish, the words sound like a song, but in English, they translate to something along the lines of "Sorry to bother you, but please be kind enough to give me a small donation." I've encountered this woman many times on my commute to school, and she always chants the same exact words. How tiring and degrading must it be for her to do this every day of her life? There are many others like her, who tell stories that will break your heart. These stories may be fictional or filled with elaboration, but the fact that these individuals need to spend their day on the bus, begging for money says something about their true story. One woman that I remember well told the bus about a medical condition she suffers from, closing with, "The quantity is not important to me. Whatever amount will warm my heart and help my suffering."

Once I transfer onto the green bus, I am prepared for all sorts of vendors to jump onto the bus and attempt to sell their goods. Goods range from fruit, empañadas, cookbooks, items related to religion, natural laxatives, jewelry, and the list goes on and on. These people literally jump from bus to bus all day, trying to sell these goods, reciting the same words all day. As we progress through traffic, it's common to see people juggling fire and performing some other spectacle in the middle of chaotic traffic. These people perform with the hope that those watching from their cars will throw some change their way. I've seen an old man, with no legs, maneuvering through traffic in his wheelchair, hoping for some money. This weekend, I saw a man with no hands, approaching cars and asking for donations. On my drive to the university, I have also noticed garbage men sitting amongst the garbage in the back of the trucks. Once I arrive at my university, I can always expect to see this one woman, sitting on the curb, holding her infant and attempting to sell lottery tickets. A few feet away from her, at the exit of a bank called Banco Pinchincha, sits an old man who holds his hand out, hoping for change. For people who live in Ecuador, these encounters come as no surprise, as it is an aspect of life that they have grown accustomed to. For myself and others new to this environment, this reality is hard to accept and cope with. Going out at night, and seeing children on the streets, shining shoes, selling items, or asking for donations is not something you can easily look past. Unfortunately for these people, reality is not progress or closure. Their lives do not improve in a linear fashion. Their days do not close with a Hollywood ending. No protagonist is there to save them from hunger, poverty, rejection, or suffering. This is their story, from my eyes, which again may see the story differently than other eyes.