The Panama Insider - This is Panama-2

This is Panama

Patience, Perspective, Persistence!

Here’s a T.I.P. This Is Panama! In Panama, you will either learn patience, or leave disillusioned and disappointed. This is what makes consulting services with The Panama Go 2 Girl so valuable. We’ll help you learn that valuable patience, and buffer some of your experiences, allowing you to learn through us rather than always the hard way. Everyone has to learn somehow. If you are fairly stubborn, then we invite you to learn at your own pace, and
welcome you with open arms whenever you’re ready for a little TLC. If you prefer to use superior judgment to prevent having to use superior skill, then welcome, again. We’ve either been there and done that, or going through it and writing about it will help us in the future. Sometimes we wonder if this is truly masochistic or benevolent; probably a fine line.

Your inability to communicate will cause frustration & misplaced anger. While recently at the MoneyGram in David, Panama, a retired man walked in. He was so bothered that the girl wasn’t behind the counter even though I explained that she was next door helping someone and would be back shortly. ‘Oh probably off chatting with a friend instead of here helping me!’ ‘No, she’s assisting someone else right now just next door. She’ll be back shortly.’ The man, whom I recognized, has a major hearing problem, and I just couldn’t figure out why after 12 years of living in Chiriqui, that he was surprised at having to wait, regardless of whether he was in a rush or not.

T.I.P. THIS IS PANAMA!

Because he had no patience, it didn’t matter that I was waiting in front of him. I graciously said nothing, as he obviously needed it more than me. (I’ve made friends this way before.) Turning to my girl friend, I commented how proud I was of myself for being patient because 4 years ago, while new in town, I definitely would have reacted badly. Then I quickly learned today’s lesson- humility & forgiveness.

The lady came back within 1 minute, and soon I hear him say ‘What’s the matter? These people don’t want my money? Ahh hell….’ The 40-
something Panamanian lady behind the box was trying to warn him, but he couldn’t hear. She stepped out of the booth to warn him, but in his anxious frustrated rage, he couldn’t hear her even with a working pair of ears. ‘Do you understand what she’s saying? I can’t understand what the problem is. Why won’t she take my money?!’ ‘I can’t help you if you don’t calm down.’

The lady appealed for my assistance, and I digressed. She was trying to tell him, that sending money to Costa Rica had become difficult if the receiver is not Tico (Costa Rican). She was asking if the receiver was Costa Rican because she didn’t want him to have any problems. (You can see how valuable that information was. I also found this to be a step up for Panamanian customer service.)
He yelled that he already knew that, and that this guy was, in fact, Tico.

Taking my seat I called out, ‘You’re welcome.’ My ego was now hot that my assistance hadn’t been recognized & that he’d reacted so rudely even though she was being helpful. He didn’t have the right to piss on everybody even when they are gracious enough to be helpful.

He turned back stunned & frustrated, to which I said ‘You’re being so impatient and rude to everyone you can’t even see that she was trying to help you, and you didn’t thank either one of us. Don’t you realize where you are? This is Panama, and we both just helped you.’

Then he yelled to the woman in the box, having gotten embarrassed & effectively more upset, that ‘apparently I have to say thank you and apologize 20 times to you and her and that baby…’ (the woman doesn’t speak English, so he’s talking to me, right? Not necessarily, but…) I called out, ‘No not 20 times, just once.’

My friend moved the baby away from the now charged area to protect him from all the negative energy. I was angry at his ignorance and poor judgment, and fearful that his actions would reflect upon me as a fellow gringo.
I looked at the baby in the corner and remembered the Latin saying,
‘It takes a community.’

Immediately, I forgave the man because I have certainly been there and definitely reacted the same way more than once. Heck, I had just contributed to causing a scene. With this forgiveness the room instantly got cooler. She said, ‘It’s just so eye opening to know that’s what I look like; that’s what we look like sometimes.’
‘Yes. It makes me feel bad for these people. But it also makes me resolve to have more patience with myself and others. Guess I patted myself on the back too soon!’

We chuckled and said thanks to Creator for the morning’s lesson, and humbly resolved to keep learning.

Patience, Perspective, Perseverance.