Drop by Drop

In Spanish, "el cuentagotas" means medicine dropper. It is one of a weird collection of Spanish words with a plural feminine ending that is, indeed, masculine and singular. The word literally means count ("cuenta") drops (gotas"). We've all used these little droppers to dispense drops of medicine into eyes or ears or wherever.

I'm reminded of what's going on between Cuba and America as both governments take tiny, tentative, and measured steps toward a more normal relationship. Pride seems to prevent either side's launching an all-out peace initiative, but economic necessity presses both sides to relax its long time sanctions against the other. Neither country seems ready to wage peace, but both keep throwing little teasers out to see what will happen.

Consider these relaxations on the part of Cuba in recent years:
1. Cubans can now have and use cell phones.
2. Cubans can stay in tourist hotels now.
3. Cubans can now buy and sell their houses and cars.

And, not to be outdone, the US has made these changes:
1. Many Bush era restrictions on travel to Cuba have been dropped.
2. Educational and people to people tours have been restored
3. Many US airports are now allowed to offer direct, non-stop flights to Cuba.

Personally, I rejoice at each liberalizing change. At the present time we are planning a trip to Havana next March. When I called Alex, my travel agent in Miami, to get some information for the trip, I was worried when his office told me he was no longer with that firm. They were nice enough to tell me he had moved to Tampa and to give me his new phone number.

Why did Alex move? Well, Tampa is one of the new group of several cities authorized to have direct flights to Cuba. And,a s Alex is a smart businessman; he knows Tampa has a very large Cuban population--probably due to the old cigar industry in Tampa and to the large shipping trade between Tampa and Havana before the embargo.

It seems obvious that more traffic between Cuba and America means more jobs here, and maybe more there as well. Also, instead of being a mystery to Americans, Cuba will be better understood and perhaps both countries will treat each other better.

Not all people see these changes as good for America. Some stick by the policies of the last 50 years, insisting that any interchange between the two countries is appeasement to Cuba's leaders and should be avoided. With such a sharp division in beliefs regarding better relations, we should not expect rapid change from our ossified Congress of recent years.

But I'm celebrating that I'll be flying out of Tampa instead of Miami, and in the process, I'll avoid 300 miles of driving, renting a motel room for an additional night, and having to get up at 4:00 am to catch a flight.

Les Inglis