Costa Rica: Looking at the World’s Problems From a Different Angle Sheds Light on Solutions

By Julia Ardon

COSTA RICA: The problem is not the politics but the demagoguery, the political process and the way in which traditional politicians conduct politics.
The problem is not the drugs but the dependence and abuse of it.
The problem is not the advertising but manipulative and untruthful advertising.
The problem is not feminism but the feminists who believe that it’s about fighting men.
The problem is not obesity; the problem is how it is seen.

The problem is not men but machismo.

The problem is not the egotists but the limited distribution of the abundant generosity that is given day to day everywhere.
The problem is not the abortion but the unwanted pregnancy.
The problem is not the unwanted pregnancy but that two people made a mistake.
The problem is not only that of who got pregnant but the sperm donor who did the crazy thing.
The problem is not the darkness but our blindness in discovering the light.
The problem is not the unions but union leadership that is outdated and bureaucratic.
The problem is not the talks or the symposiums or the conferences, the problem is that they talk a lot and do little.
The problem is not the President it is the democracy that requires profound revision because it seems like it is not working as it was intended.
The problem is not homosexuality but seeing it as a problem
The problem is not disrespect but obeying excessively.
The problem is not aggression but having someone believe they deserve to be the victim.
The problem is not the absence of discipline but the absence of rebellion.
The problem is not too much noise but the lack of music.
The problem is not the silicone implants but believing that without them you won’t be desired or loved.
The problem is not the television but the poor quality of the programs.
The problem is not the education or public health but the lack of resources available.
The problem is not religion but their hierarchies.
The problem is not reggaeton but its violent lyrics.
The problem is not the sex but ignorance and misinformation about it.
The problem is not public nudity but not enjoying it in private.
The problem is not Bush but positioning him above all else and leaving him alone.
The problem is not crime but exclusion and desperation.
The problem is not migration but the poor.
The problem is not terrorism, the problem is they hide their causes.

The problem is not the disease but looking it as the enemy that must be fought instead of understanding that it is a result of an imbalance.
The problem is not marriage but the belief that it is appropriate to marry someone else for our personal use without regard for their freedom, wishes and dreams.
The problem is not the money but capitalism.
The problem is not socialism but the absence of individual freedom.
The problem is not freedom but trying to impose it at the expense of others.
The problem is not the laws but those who don’t follow them.
The problem is not Human Rights, but those which are not enforced.
The problem is not consumerism but the creation of false necessities.
The problem is not overpopulation but overcrowding.
The problem is not the lack of food and water but the poor distribution of wealth.
The problem is not constipation but the lack of fiber in the food.
The problem is not war but the manufacturing of weapons.
The problem is not the war, but that the governments supposedly in charge of keeping the peace who are the ones who provoke the wars and maintain in their territories the largest weapon factories.
The problem is not the security, the problem is the hatred, the torture and the repression.
The problem is not the anger, but the lack of smiles.
The problem as it’s seen is not women joining the workforce, but how the men help with the housework and childrearing.
The problem is not the rebellious sons or daughters, but the fathers and mothers who don’t listen to them.
The problem is not the spoiled sons or daughters, but those who spoiled them.
The problem is not the men and women psychologists, but the fact that they are a luxury few people can afford.
The problem is not adolescence but menopause.
The problem is not the menopause but the belief that to be old is a problem.
The problem is not the anguish, but the lack of joy.
The problem is not the sin but the blame.
The problem is not the blame but the punishment.
The problem is not the seriousness of the problem but how seriously we take it.
The problem is always looking for imperfections in someone but ignoring their good qualities.
The problem is not others, but us.
The problem is not the miscommunication, it’s the lack of conversation and dialogue.
The problem is not knowledge, it is the lack of wisdom.

The problem is not competition but that sharing is not a priority.
The problem isn’t death but the matter of living.
The problem is not lack of free time, but that we’re occupied and always occupied in things we think important and which are not really.
The problem is not the lack of free time but that we keep busy all the time doing things that we think are important but really are not.
The problem is that we keep believing we’re important even though we act like shit.
The problem is not the need for help, but not being able to ask for it.
The problem is not that there are prostitutes but that they have clients.
The problem is wanting to fix the world while neglecting the family.
The problem isn’t pornography but that erotic desires aren’t satisfied.
The problem is not the sadness, but the inability to cry.
The problem is not the violence or the fear, but the lack of love.
The problem is not in the newspaper, but in the mirror. The problem is not outside but here inside.
The solution to everything is in our hands, and starts at home … from the body, soul, mind, from what we think, what we feel, how we express ourselves and then … as we participate or not participate in our environment.
And then the problem is not lack of self-esteem, but the belief throughout the centuries that everything: family, military, school, blue-collar work, businesses, state government, industry, art, science, religion, partners, information, trade unions, political parties, fashion, … there’s always someone in charge of men and women, who is worth more, and who has the power to decide what we should consider to be important and what is not.
The problem seems to be this century-old lie, but more than that is that we have believed it.
Learn more about Julia:
Julia, a 44-year-old widow, is the mother of one child and lives in Belén, Costa Rica. Her days are kept busy fulfilling one of her passions in life — cooking — in a restaurant she owns with her sisters and brother in the mountainous tourist region of Costa Rica.
Another one of Julia’s passions that rivals her time in the kitchen is expressing herself. For as long as Julia can remember, she has liked art, communicating and writing. She has pursued an informal education that has taken her on a journey through journalism, photography, art, psychology, a spiritual search, and public relations.
Julia credits the Internet for giving her the outlet to share her different interests with the world. She does this through a family of blogs she publishes.
Among her many blogs, her personal blog, “JULIA ARDON,” is where Julia shares her thoughts about the world. On the blog, “Por la Boca Vive el Pez,” Julia features articles written by other writers, and she created a blog titled “Ticaragua” to promote brotherhood between Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans.
She created Ticaragua in response to the large wave of Nicaraguan immigrants into Costa Rica that has unleashed a countrywide xenophobic reaction.
Yet her main interest is to be a witness for beauty and to uncover that beauty for the eyes of the world. She accomplishes that goal with her site “El Salon de Belleza.”
If all these writings were not enough, Julia also collaborates with other websites and Internet media, like Latina Lista.