Rocky: 40 years later, he's still a lovable underdog

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Lottery Numbers for Sunday Nov. 20

It was 4 o&#8217;clock in the morning and I was in a foreign country on a short-term missionary trip, with limited amenities and a lingering bit of fear.Although I had earlier willed myself back to sleep, I found myself making my way off the top bunk bed and landing with a thud on the floor.&#8220;I need to find out who won the election,&#8221; I said aloud, thinking I might have awakened my daughter, who was also sleeping on a top bunk.I pulled on my clothes from the day before, walked through the complex to the television set, along the way passing armed guards, who greeted me with &#8220;good morning.&#8221;The results of the election surprised me and I couldn&#8217;t help saying, &#8220;Oh my gosh.&#8221;A man, whom I believe had stayed up all night, was also surprised at the results.But, there was work to do and people to help and, after a few minutes, we prepared ourselves for the day before us, during which we would assist the people of the Dominican Republic any way we could.What impressed me about that day was, despite the fact we did make our way back to the television set several times over the next couple hours, there were no unkind words spoken, although I was vaguely aware the people around me had different opinions, different political leanings, even different religious convictions.Being in the Dominican Republic set the stage for an attitude of gratitude and allowed us to focus on the moment as an opportunity to make a difference, however small that may have been.We provided a birthday party for kids at a local orphanage and made crafts with children whose mothers had previously been involved in human trafficking and were working to stabilize their lives.Still, there were some marked differences I did not expect.I asked if there were any newspapers available, even if they were written in Spanish.I was reminded most citizens of the Dominican Republic cannot read and are simply focused on surviving &#8212; something they do with an amazing amount of grace and kindness.During the times I managed to get a quiet moment in front of the television set, the guard would turn on the fan that provided a bit of relief from the heat.Just as in the U.S., I required help to operate the remote control for the complex&#8217;s sole television set.The guard, who spoke no English, attempted to school me on how turn on the set.&#8220;Uno,&#8221; he said, pointing to a certain button. &#8220;Dos,&#8221; he said, indicating the second button I should push.&#8220;No puedo. Trato, pero no puedo,&#8221; I said. &#8220;Ayudame por favor.&#8221; (Meaning: &#8220;I can&#8217;t do it. I try, but I can&#8217;t. Please help me.&#8221;)The guard would smile, roll his eyes a bit and turn on the television set for me &#8212; again and again.Unaware of what was happening on the world stage, he was simply offering his kindness and assistance.The opportunity to be outside the United States during the presidential election offered perspective.All over the world, people are expecting Americans to act with consistency and integrity. If we lose confidence in ourselves as a country, who will be that example for the world?The government of the Dominican Republic is actually modeled after our government, a decision made years ago highlighting the fact that our form of government is envied by those around the world.Quality of life goes far beyond who is sitting in the Oval Office; it reflects our ability to move forward economically, to become educated and to respect one another in spite of differences.Economic success is relative and isn&#8217;t always linked to happiness.Hector, one of the support staff at the mission and a Dominican, reminded us of this as he drove us to the airport in his car with a cracked windshield &#8212; that had been that way since the day he purchased it.&#8220;I am rich,&#8221; he said, smiling. &#8220;Not because I have much, but because I need little.&#8221;Hector had lost his hat and we provided him with a Penn State cap, which he was delighted to keep.We did require him to take a brief oath to be a Nittany Lions fan for the rest of his life.I&#8217;m grateful for the opportunity to have traveled thousands of miles on a limited budget to help others who have less than me.And yet, hands down, I feel I was blessed far beyond what I was able to give back.All because when I asked my daughter Caitlyn what she wanted for her 18th birthday, she said, &#8220;I want you to go with me on a short-term missionary trip.&#8221;To such a request, I could not say no.<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Geri Gibbonsggibbons@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons.</shirttailMeta></div>

Beyond the Byline: A trip to the Dominican Republic gifted me with gratitude