Haiti is on my mind and I am very sad today.

I was in Port-au-Prince twice in 2009.

When I arrived the first time and walked through the streets, the people stared at me cold.  At first glance, it was an unwelcoming place.

My dear friend Jean-Marc de Matteis, whom I hope is alive and well tonight, smirked a bit and said, “The thing with Haitian people is that they’ve been through a lot.  It’s a hard life here and people wear it on their faces.  But that’s not the true nature of Haitian people.  Watch what happens if you make eye contact and simply say ‘bonjour’ to someone.”

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I did.  And I always got a smile.   Sometimes a quick flash of a smile and back to a glare, but the glare became an easier glare.  Sometimes they’d smile a massive smile and say “bonjour” back.   It’s an amazing feeling of getting a smile 100 times out of 100 attempts.   The country really was a welcoming place.

I don’t exaggerate when I tell you I said “bonjour” to almost everyone with whom I made eye contact.   And Port-au-Prince is a crowded place, which means a lot of people to greet.  My friend and interpreter, Alain Charles, who, as of this moment I cannot locate — and it’s taking me enormous restraint to not cry — took notice and would often laugh whenever I said “bonjour.”  To him it seemed like I was kind of insane.  Like I would if he tried it in L. A. or New York City.  But I loved doing it. (more…)