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Published: February 12th 2011
It's amazing the effect that watching television can have on your perception of the world and day-to-day activites. On the positive side, it can make you more knowledgeable about certain events, nations, animals, etc. but it can also decensitize you to such things as murder, human remains, war, and many others. I noticied this more this week while paying attention to my reaction to various events that I experienced. I wasn't shocked or appauled at seeing a full display of human bones, I wasn't disgusted when shown an infected appendix that the hospital and, while visiting the Oaxacan prison, all I could think about was how an inmate might try to escape.
Bones
The television series 'Bones' is a recent discovery of mine. I purchased Seasons 1 through 4 when they were on sale this past fall and used it as my background dialogue as I made jewelry for the Christmas Season. For those of you who haven't heard of 'Bones', it's about a forensic anthropologist who helps a FBI agent solve crimes. Basically, you see a lot of dead bodies and human bones. Even though they are not real, it still gives you an idea of what a real
skeleton looks like.
This past Saturday, Jess and I took the KBC group to Monte Alban to see the ancient Zapotec ruins near Oaxaca city. After touring the site and climbing the steps of very high, very old pyramids in the scourching sun light we took a break to walk through the nice, cool museum. The on-site museum was filled with a few of the artifacts that were discovered on Monte Alban, including stone totems, bowls, jewelry, face plates, and...rows of human skulls. In fact, there was a complete and in-tact skeleton from one of the tombs in Monte Alban that was resting in a glass coffin for all the tourists to see. I was amazed by how little I was impacted by the skeleton - the fact that those bones were once part of a person that lived and breathed and worked here thousands of years ago. Jess made a comment that she believed this was the first skeleton she had ever seen, and again, I surprised myself that I was not able to remember if or when I had seen a skeleton before. I remembered seeing a lot of skeletons on 'Bones', but had I ever seen
Inuk Shook
A little piece of home :)one in person?
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy was one of my favourites when going through University. Well, to be completely honest, I was watching the most recent season up until we left for Mexico. I can't help but enjoy the mystery and intrigue involved with the patients that is mixed with all the cllinical, cutting-edge drama! I love it, and through it, grew immune to the blood and gore that you see in the hospital.
Last night, Jess and I brought some girls to the hospital. We were there to visit Kayla, another girl from the home who had been in the hospital for 2 days after receiving surgery for a burst appendix. Kayla had been complaining of pains in her side since Saturday so went to see a doctor on Monday. The doctor that they went to said that she had kidney stones and scolded her for not drinking more water. He said that it would be painful but she would be able to pass them naturally. On Tuesday, the pain had worsened so that Kayla spent most of the day writhing in her bed. Gwen, a nurse who had come with the KBC team, tooka
quick look at her and recommended that they go back to another doctor to have her re-examined. So, around pm on Tuesday night, without really knowing who to go to or what to ask, Jill brought Kayla into Oaxaca city to see a ortho-something. Jill saw an office that she thought was the right kind of doctor so ran in to find that the doctor was there and had absolutely NO patients (this never happens!). The doctor took them right away and within 30 seconds knew that she had appendicitis and that her appendix had already erupted. He scheduled her to have surgery THAT NIGHT at one of the best hospitals in town. Its amazing that under all the right circumstances, they were able to catch this in time so that there were no more serious side affects. Three full bags of infection and dozens of bandages later, Kayla is at home and happy to be back. The point of this naration, was to note that while we were at the hospital, we got to see Kayla's appendix that they removed. They had given it to her in a jam jar and it was sitting by her bed. Most of
the girls were disgusted and wouldn't look at it...but I found it quite interesting. Have I been desensitized to everything inside the human body - bones and guts alike?
Prison Break
I haven't watched the show 'Prison Break' since the first season. As much as I loved the show, you can really only break out of a prison so many times while keeping it interesting.
On Thursday, the men from KBC, Jess and I joined Enrique, a pastor who does prison outreach to 3 prisons in the area, to go visit and do a Christian service at the prison in Oaxaca. A lot of people have been asking me how I found the experience and all that I can say is that is was very interesting. I'll admit that at first it was very intimidating - entering a closed in space and having all eyes on you (we hadn't realized it was a mens prison). But as I reminded myself that I was very safe and I was accompanied by some incredible men, I was able to take in what I saw. This prison was home to these men. As we walked along a main corridor, we saw
many inmates who looked like regular people - they were playing soccer and laughing and buying treats from a small shop. And as we entered a smaller room where they hold the services, there was just more regular men. They smiled at us and gave up their chairs so we could sit, they sang and thanked God from the bottom of their hearts, they brought me water when I couldn't stop coughing (I've been sick with a sore throat for the past week) and coffee when the service was over. You could almost look past the tear drop tattoo that showed that one man was a murderer, or that another man had been there for 4 years out of a 15 year sentence, and that both these men were around my age! It was very a very...interesting...experience. I can't say I've ever been called a "barbie" before or told that my eyes were "very woman", but I am glad that I went and will probably go again (once I know more spanish so I can understand more of the service!). However, during the entire experience...from when we entered the first gate to when we left...I couldn't help but think about the show 'Prison Break' and wonder how one might try to break out of the prison and what would happen if they did...
So...a lesson for the young: be careful what you watch because it may define who you become.
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Patrick
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Wise Words
It is sometimes amazing to sit back and think objectively about the kinds of things the media exposes us to on a daily basis. It really does change the way we looks at things. It is great to see in all of those instances that God is still protecting you at every moment, and also teaching you through these experiences. I can't imagine what it must feel like being in a prison, as I've never been. It's such a different perspective on life I'm sure. You're right, for those men it is home. And it makes me wonder, what if that were what I had to call home? Glad to see you are learning new things in each and every experience!