The Beverly Hillbillies

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Have you ever watched the first episode? These days you can get just about anything on DVD. During our last visit to the U.S., I found the first four episodes on DVD. For 99 cents it’s worth the risk of poor quality. During this first episode the Clampetts become millionaires over night. The buyer of their land is trying to explain a few conveniences of the modern day world to this rural family, one particular convenience being the telephone. Praise and I were watching this with some of the people of Apebouso (the village where the school is located). I laughed thinking of being in the exact same situation as the “buyer” had I attempted to explain the same modern day items.

During a reading lesson with my 2nd grade class last week, I discovered that Simon had no idea what a “shop” was. Nothing fancy, just a common shop/store where you might buy soap, tomato paste, coffee etc. Come to find out he had never been further then the next village, half a mile away! For educational purposes of course, he would have to spend the weekend with me. I asked Simon and two other students, Anthony and Cynthia to join us.

During the drive to our own village on Friday, what an eruption of chatter there was in the back seat when we finally we reached the paved road. Pavement - a new sight in its own. Simon and Anthony counted cars, saw electric poles, motorcycles, open spaces and so much more. We spent Friday evening and all day Saturday in our village of Fenaso. Saturday evening we came to the larger town of Dunkwa. There is where they saw with their own eyes the ceiling fan, something they have only heard there classmates talk about. Taking them into the living room I pointed to the floor fan (which was turned off at the time) and asked what they thought it might be. They had no idea. The floor fan is next to the table that the telephone sits on. I showed them the telephone and asked what they thought it might be. Anthony answered, “TV”. What a chuckle I had.

In Dunkwa we are fortunate to have two phones in the house, one in the living room and a second in the office. I asked Kwabena, one of our own children, to pick up the phone in the office and talk to Anthony and Simon. What fun they have had these past few days.

People in the very rural areas of Ghana are still so self sustaining, it’s amazing. Can you imagine, it’s almost the year 2010 and there are still people unfamiliar with such simple luxuries. Even items as simple as a common toothbrush! It hard to imagine for even me, and I’m living with them! I often ask myself, “Who is really better off, them in their ‘less cluttered, natural and organic state’ or those of us more ‘educated and developed’”? Something to think about.

Have a Blessed Week!
Christine & Co

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Comments

[annie]

so cute
i would have loved to be there to see their faces and heard their laughs. that would have been so much fun.

[Kirk and Christine]

Annie
It was fun! They sounded like a couple of little song birds chit-chatting. Wish I had it on tape. :)

[nana]

beverly hillbillies
The question "who is better off" is one I also ask myself on a regular basis. Our office is so full of machines running some days I cannot think- let alone do numbers on the computer. I grew up in the "Happy Days" of the 1950's--- I could do a comparison of sorts with then and now.... We got out of our chair to change the TV station or turn the volume up or down. Some one else pumped our gas for us- at $0.25 gal. We WALKED ALL THE WAY TO SCHOOL. We never asked for a ride to work-- you walked to the bus stop and paid 0.10 for the main line and .05 for a transfer. I knew all the names of the streets all over the city of Detroit. I never ate TV dinners while I lived at mom and dad's. You wore nylons stockings and dresses and skirts- no matter how hot it was- to work. We wore 'dungrees'/or 'bib overalls" only on vacation to the farm over in Canada. I never stayed in a motel until my wedding night-- don't ask. Love ya-hug the kids for me Nana

[Matt Bishop]

Love it
The simplicity of Ghana, thats what I love!