The Power of Eye Contact

Let’s admit it, I stick out.  I may know my way around the city; I may speak Spanish with ease and little accent; I may know how to order my favorite food; I may know how to drink juice out of a bag; I may cross the street without getting run over by a bus, bike, or car; I may live here and have made friends with the neighbors.  BUT I still stick out.  Why?

I walk too fast.  I dress differently.  I smell of sunscreen.  I act more reserved and controlled.  Most of all, I have bright blue eyes.

And, though I love my blue eyes, those little twinkling gifts can actually turn out to be little curses sometimes.  Why?  Because it makes me stand out even more than I want to.  Guys on the street flirt and cat-call all the more at me if they catch the blue glint of my eyes.  Children frequently ask me if I would trade my eyes for theirs.  Every time I wear contacts instead of my glasses women are so surprised by the intensity of the blueness of my eyes and it end up being a frequent conversation topic.  There was even a little girl who was afraid of me for a while because of my blue eyes.  Here, in a land of dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes my blue orbs are foreign invaders.  They don’t belong. 

But you know what?  That’s ok.

Why?  Because I’ve learned to use my eyes instead of being ashamed of them.  With a short nod of my head, I can catch a taxi, tricycle, mototaxi, or bus.  With quick eye contact I acknowledge the presence of my neighbors, those I pass on the street, my friends.  With a smile of my eyes, I can get the cashier, the market vendor, a child to return my smile.  My eyes, combined with my accent, can even give me some power in a bartering situation (I mean, who wouldn’t want to give me a lower price?!)

Truly, eye contact can be very powerful.

Think of it in the reverse: if I never looked at anyone, what would that be like?  Well, that Kelsey would walk down the street, looking at nothing but her toes hitting the uneven and cracked pavement.  She would be oblivious to the world around her, the many families and friends sitting on their doorsteps, chit-chatting away.  She would miss the opportunity to amicably say “adios” to her neighbors and those she passed on the street.  She would stick out as an unfriendly gringa who didn’t have the time or care to even make eye contact with other human beings.  By withholding her gaze of others around her, she would be quietly yelling to everyone that they are not worth her time or acknowledgement.  That Kelsey would be “fría” or “cold”.  In the end, she would be alone in her own self-inflicted bubble of isolation.

Needless to say, I do not want to be that Kelsey.

So, I will shamelessly walk this Nicaraguan city with my blue eyes wide open.  I will unabashedly make eye contact with friends and strangers alike.  I will look and smile and see and be a part of this world around me.  I will get more whistles, more looks, more comments BUT I will also look back, make comments and acknowledge the life, the people, that God has placed in my life today.

Stay tuned!