Cultural differences

I mentioned some of our trip to Mexico, but I didn't go into great detail.  When you spend a week in a different country, elaborating could equal a volume of a book.
But there were things that impacted me and made me think about the cultural differences between us and others.
In America, things are a bit more refined.  When you go to a country like Mexico, you may find that many of their areas aren't up to the same standards as us.
When we got off the plane, we were loaded into a bus and brought to the terminal.  Not unusual as that is what happened when we landed back in America.  In both instances we had to go through customs.  Not glamorous but necessary.
As we got off the bus, we were the last in line, so we hung out on the tarmac area until the line sifted down.

After we got through customs, we went out to get the taxi.  There were so many people coming at us, it was overwhelming and would be easy for someone to get sucked in, if they didn't have a plan.  But as I had mentioned in an earlier post, our bride (Jena the great) had everything under control.

Now, as we huddled against the building (I think there were about 18 of us at the time; some were already at the resort) a man and his wife came out of the terminal to get a taxi.  He was already partying, as he had a Corona in his hand.  As he walked out of the building, there were so many people crowding him, he didn't see the step down, and fell, beer in hand.  The bottle broke in his hand and he got a deep gash in the palm of his hand.  My heart stopped, because I didn't know what to expect.

Now, in America, though we have the good Samaritan law, I know many people who would stand back, fearful of lawsuits and crippled into indecision.

But as I watched these taxi drivers, who just seconds ago, were only interested in their latest score,  they were now huddled around this man (in his mid 60s), attending to his hand with no regard to blood, lawsuits or getting their uniforms dirty.  It was truly a humanitarian gesture that warmed my heart and softened the fears I was having.

I watched blood-soaked towels drop to the ground, to be replaced by new clean ones in an attempt to stop or slow the bleeding.  The did not let up on this man the whole time we stood there; which wasn't long as our ride quickly arrived.

I couldn't help  but think about how quickly they came to this man's aid.  And it wasn't just one or two; there was a small crowd of people assisting to this man's wellness.   They weren't doctors by any means, and I'm not sure what happened after we left.   But the scene will forever stick in my heart that these people were caring and compassionate. 

The service in Puerto Vallarta was amazing all around.  Every single person was very accommodating and kind.  I will elaborate more in other posts.  I have a LOT to say about our week away!!!

My message for the day is, "Practice random acts of kindness".  The good feeling should be payoff enough!!
Happy Wednesday!!