It’s 4 AM and it’s already hot. I have to meet my tuk-tuk driver who will take me to meet some local fishermen. They have been out in the ocean all night, guarding their nets, and now it’s time to collect their catch.
With superhuman effort, dozens of men are pulling nets out of the water. Young men, old men, and even kids. The kids taking part in all of it are working for their families. Waves – the kind of I’ve only seen before in places where people surf – are not helping. The power of nature is telling us all who’s in charge here. After two hours, the job is finally done. The collections are small and everyone is disappointed.
I notice on this morning that we’re all constantly meeting people who don’t understand the things we say and vice versa. Language barriers can often present their own challenges while traveling, but there is one thing that communicates so much more between strangers than words can. In this moment, it’s the faces of these fishermen. You can read them like a book. Some are just happy to see you. Some are irritated with your camera. And some are smiling. And even behind some of those smiles you can feel sadness.
As they say, there is a piece of God in every being. And yes, I met Him in all of these faces of India.
