31 August 2009 -- It is okay to die

Approximately 8,000 people live in the local town of Luperon. In the last couple of months a few people have died and it seems clear that this culture is comfortable with death. Funeral processions are a model of economic efficiency, with a homemade wooden casket carried in the back of a well-worn Toyota pickup truck, people fill the street walking behind the casket, picking flowers as they go. The most significant difference, though, is the remembrance celebration. A few days ago, a motorcycle rider hit a cow and died. Very few of the motorcycles have working headlights, so nighttime riding is really russian roulette. Nobody locally wears a helmet or protective clothing. Speed limits are not enforced and alcohol seems to be an ever-present influence. Plus, it is okay for cows, horses, mules, donkeys, goats, chickens, people, and children to use the road as they wish. I cannot imagine how many laws, lawyers, politicians, tax hikes, surveillance cameras, cops, state troopers, and do-gooders it would take to fix such a situation. But here, it is simply okay. The guy that died was described as 'poco loco' (a little crazy) with the implication simply being that his time was up. After his death, the street in front of his house was blocked off, a festival tent was erected, and a beer truck arrived, all in preparation for the nine days of remembrance celebration following a death. Accepting death so easily allows for a simplified legal system and a common-sense health care system. People in the Dominican Republic are regularly rated as some of the happiest people in the world. Maybe Americans should start celebrating at funerals.