Here in the states when someone asks me what I do for a living I usually get one of two reactions:

1. people have the persception that we are baby snatchers, or

2. I get the dreadful “poor you how awful your job must be look.”

But in Guatemala when people ask what I do for work and I say I am a Social Worker….their reactions are quite different. Their faces light up in awe and amazingment. Much like the reaction a doctor or lawyer would get, or the same as Nicole gets when she says she’s a Midwife. I noticed this reaction my first two times in Guatemala. This time I pointed it out to Nicole and she noticed it as well. Clearly to be a social worker here means something quite different to the Guatemalan people. I wanna know more. I am intriqued by their reaction and can feel an instant endearment to me when I talk about the work I do. No one looks sorry for me like they do in the states. In the states I am not sure if the looks I get are related to the toughness of my job or the salary my job alludes to. I love the work I do and this is the first time I see a reflection back from a community that miorrors how I feel about my profession. I am intrigued and hoping next time I am here that I can have more converstations about their perspectives on social work.