More than Enough

5,600 families is a lot of people. Crowd control is nothing less than an act of God. After the ropes had been staked in, the 7 trucks were parked, and people had lined up outside the ropes, I stood inside the box waiting. Watching. Wondering how that many people were possibly going to be able to fit through the opening the size of a door in an orderly fashion. And for about the first hour, I was worried. Especially when I saw the ropes collapsing and people poring over into the territory where the police stood, armed with sticks to keep them back.

Why do they push? Why can’t we just be patient? What about waiting your turn?

Then I realized: I come from a world paradigm where waiting has never really made me miss out on much. I can let people go before me, and I still expect to get my share of the meal. But that has probably not been the life experience for many of these people. They are used to things running out. They are used to being left with nothing, if they don’t get in before someone else. Who am I to question?

When all was done at my site, and every single person who had a ticket from the previous registration had walked through a session of hygiene education and received a hygiene kit, I peered into the truck. Only one kit remained.

Enough is a beautiful thing.