All At Sea

I received this from a woman yesterday who, having really never heard anything different, thought at the beginning of our conversation that we were nothing but country clubs and galas people out here.

Many people think that about the Palm Springs area- and we do quite a bit of PR to keep people thinking that way.

I explained to her the facts about where I live near Palm Springs, California- where there are 75,000 acres of agricultural land and people living sometimes fifteen to a trailer to bring those crops in... a place where there are multiple foreclosures on every street....a place where we are hoping for a new prison just to get jobs. And, does anybody ever wonder who it is that keep those resorts so pristine and where do they live?

Here are her words:

Patty --- thanks for educating me about Palm Springs. I had some pre-conceived notions about the relative affluence of the area. As is the truth everywhere, there are “invisible people” with needs. You’re serving them—and doing God’s work. I experienced this dual society a couple years ago on a cruise. My M-in law took all of us on a Caribbean cruise, which was generous and we’re all grateful. I sure got an education. I assumed that the staff on the cruise were young people who hadn’t put down roots yet or maybe college kids who wanted a stint of adventure. Oh boy.

The staff turned out to be almost entirely from developing countries who were working away from their families in order to send paychecks home to their impoverished relatives. Our “host” and cabin maid are assigned to specific families on the cruise, and I got to talk to them quite a bit about their lives. Both of them had small children being cared for by grandparents, and you could tell that the separation was devastating. Then, I went to one of those pampering facials, and the consultant there was from South Africa. She told me that by working for a 6 mos stint on the cruise, she would make enough money to open her own salon back home. She was separated from her family as well.

At the end of the cruise, it all looked very different to me. I was one of hundreds of privileged white people being waited-on by citizens of the world who, by accident of geography, were destined to pamper me in order to get-ahead. Not only that, the cruise ship didn’t have the staff housed in luxurious cabins like ours. Their quarters were in the bottom of the boat, like closets with no windows, and the cabins were crowded. When was the last time ethnic minorities took ocean cruises with white people living in luxury on the upper decks? Yup. It made me sick. I tipped generously and will never go on another cruise.

The world is so unfair. Never forget that your work “leveling the playing field” makes a difference. Keep on keeping on!