How to Derail your Productivity in less than 5 minutes.

I packed up my laptop, headed to the business office at my apartment complex, and made a plan to get some stuff done on my day off.

But my plans were interrupted when I met Alberto (not his real name.)

He speaks no English, so I thanked Jesus for the dozen-or-so years of Spanish class (now a dozen-or-so years ago) and asked him where he was from.

Venezuela. He is in the states seeking political asylum.

Translation: he had to leave his home, and go to a place where he doesn’t even speak the language, to prevent Hugo Chavez from killing him.

I watched as he Skyped his family through tears, asking them about the violence, and if they were OK.

He ended the call, thanked me for letting him be so loud, and said grinning (pointing at the laptop) “Isn’t this marvelous?”

Yes sir. It is indeed pretty marvelous.

Please pray for my new 60-year-old friend, that he would be granted asylum, and that he and his family would be safe from a ruthless dictator.

It makes all my “productivity” seem pretty frivolous.