Throughout this past decade, I was a witness, albeit at a distance, to the spectacular ascent, plateau, and then rapid decline of the economy in Portugal. Malls that were once full of shoppers strolling arm in arm with loaded bags of new purchases grew quiet, with only the food courts remaining busy. Portuguese people I know and care deeply for have lost their jobs, pensions have been slashed, the austerity painful and prolonged. Many of us in North America can hardly relate to what the Portuguese have endured, usually in a dignified silence shaped by a deep cultural mythology of fado. From my observations, the Portuguese have assigned primary blame upon themselves and their choices of leaders, something that perhaps we in North America could learn from.
Now, it appears that this long dark period may be slowly coming to an end, for there is indeed some "Progress in Portugal." I will write more upon the unique Portuguese response to this hopeful turn of events in a coming blog post, but for the moment I want to return to a more personal story and experience, a surprise, a blessing, a moment I am very grateful for.
When we arrived in Portugal in May, we discovered that a group of young Canadians had been in the country for a week or so as well, on a short term service trip from several churches. They were an eclectic group--some were quiet while others were outgoing; one would be fairly clear and determined in life plans and goals and perhaps another was in a process of searching. They were wonderfully alike and yet preciously distinctive.
Unbeknownst to the Canadians, they arrived at a time when the non-profit group I am grateful to be a part of, Friends of Portugal, was making some important decisions related to various projects and initiatives. (For more details on FOP, see www.friendsofportugal.net) National leadership for FOP had written a feasibility study for several micro-projects designed to renovate vintage furniture and household appliances, the first phase of a more comprehensive vision of FOP to develop skills, job training, and self-sufficiency for the Portuguese. In less than 48 hours after our arrival, FOP succeeded in leasing a 2,500 square foot warehouse in an ideal location to support its various projects, and began to secure additional equipment such as storage racks, tools, and even a delivery and service van for FOP.
For many years I have often been in the role of decision-maker and leader in a number of ventures and businesses, and my observation is we typically get too much credit when things go really well and conversely we shoulder too much blame when things go poorly. But in this particular instance, despite whatever role I may have had in any decisions, the real credit goes to others in the supporting roles. And for Friends of Portugal and the leasing of this new facility, these young Canadians provided critical support at the exact time that it was needed. Their youthful enthusiasm, creativity, physical strength, and willingness to do the unglamorous work necessary to any enterprise was an enormous blessing and necessary injection of energy. Watching them sorting through hundreds of boxes of clothes, carefully examining and folding each piece, or young men jumping into the back of a storage van and "man-handling" appliances that can cause us older "lions" to chew Tylenol like chewing gum, is a source of deep appreciation, affection, and most importantly for all of us, hope.
Often, when young people contemplate doing some form of service on behalf of a community group, social enterprise, church, or other non-profit, they can approach such activities as "mountain top experiences" where results are palpable, quick, and gratifying. I don't know many who think of folding clothes for many days, or cleaning and sweeping an empty warehouse, or playing a simple game of football with some neighbor kids, as worthy of traveling thousands of miles at great expense, with accompanying inconveniences.
But these are the steps of progress that need to occur not only in the working out of our own lives and careers, but also in the lives of an entire country such as Portugal. Too often we want to focus upon a dramatic and colorful "breakthrough" but the reality is that these rarely can occur without a great deal of behind the scenes service, sweat, and toil.
So yes, we can say that there is "Progress in Portugal" just as much as we can say there is progress in the nonprofit Friends of Portugal. But this progress comes when one is blessed--even surprised--by the willingness of others to step in and provide help when it is most needed. This is what these young Canadians did in May and June of 2014.
If the Portuguese youth are similar to the Canadian youth I met this spring, then one can indeed be hopeful that there are good days ahead for Portugal. And in my heart that pumps blood from my Portuguese ancestors, I believe that these are signs of good "Progress in Portugal."
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