eat dessert first

this spring i went to tanzania. it is a beautiful, unspoiled country which relies largely on tourism to fuel its economy. we traveled in open-air jeeps and sat on the roofs to take in the scenery. as we passed small villages, children would run out to the road, shouting and waving hello. at times it felt like we were on a parade route.

these children had almost nothing materially.  their clothing was dirty, stained. most went barefoot. we saw one kid happily towing his “toy,”  an aluminum can tied to a rope. others asked to be photographed, then excitedly leaned in to see their images on our digital cameras. those we spoke with aspired to become tour guides when they grew up.

what struck me was not just the poverty, but how happy they seemed despite these circumstances, how delighted they were by the simplest things.