Why should I have to see my neighbors underwear in the morning?

This morning I came out early to put clothes out on the line. The lady that washes my clothes came yesterday but it rained the afternoon, so she and I had put all the clothes in a big basin to sit for morning. After putting out all the clothes I went to the kitchen where Eugenie had already made coffee and offered me a cup. I then sat on my future porch and enjoyed my coffee. I was thinking about how sweet and wonderful the mornings are here. You wake to the chickens and a glimpse of sunlight peaking through the curtains. As I sat people started to pass by for water with a friendly Bonjou as they pass by. Then I see my ‘brothers’ that live next door bringing back water in 5 gallon buckets from the well with one of our other neighbors. He set down his water and greeted me too, with no shirt on and his shorts falling down his backside showing his underwear. I sat here and under my breath as he turned around I said in English ‘pull your pants up’. Shortly after, I was distracted by a motorcycle with a few friends stopping by the house too. This all happened before my cup of coffee was finished.

This got me thinking about how close the community is and how you do see all your neighbors all the time. This must have been the way they talk about it used to be when people lived outside on their porches during the summer, you knew your neighbors and you chatted regularly. How does this affect our society? I think I enjoy it, I think it is healthy and a beautiful thing to have a connection with so many people throughout your day. However, sometimes I do think about my cup of coffee in the states. Alone in my house I would brew up a pot of coffee and sit down and watch the news and look at what was going on in the world. Actually maybe things haven’t changed that much. Maybe that is why we have to watch our morning news we need that connection with people. There are defiantly good and bad points to both situations and I think they are just different one isn’t better than the other. One thing I do know we need people in our lives and I am pretty sure life is a whole lot better with coffee too!