It's a young country

Nicaragua went through a revolution and civil war in the 70s and 80s.  It also experienced a terrible earthquake in '72 that leveled its capital city and more. So in many ways, Nicaragua is early in its development as a stable modern state.

But it is also a young country. More than half the population is under the age of 25 (compared with 34% in the US) and only about 10% of the population is 55 or older (compared with 26% in the US). The median age is 23 or so.

source: http://www.indexmundi.com/

I'm reading a book called Blood of Brothers by American journalist Stephen Kinzer who lived in and reported on Nicaragua throughout most of the 70s and 80s. It is a fascinating insight into that time.  It's interesting to read it now and hear about the foxholes in the rice fields where I am and about the fighting in the mountains I visited. I can see the places in the book in my mind and see how much this country has changed since then.

I want to ask people about their personal experience of that tumultuous time and understand how it has shaped the culture and consciousness of the people.

However, I have hardly spoken to a person over the age of 40.  It may be that older Nicaraguans are less inclined to speak to a gringa for various reasons. But frankly, I don't run into that many. At 39 I'm the oldest person in my office.

I wonder about the dynamics this creates about the place of history and memory.  Perhaps it is best that there are so many people who can't remember the torture of the dictator, the bloody fighting that took place in cities and the countryside, and the extreme shortages of food and other basic supplies in the 80s. Perhaps they are more hopeful and unfettered.

But I also think experience brings wisdom.  How do they avoid repeating the mistakes that were made in the recent past? How do they avoid a questionable government rewriting history in their favor as they rewrite the schoolbooks?

Regardless, I have really appreciated everyone sharing their experience with me and answering my endless stream of questions, even if they can't answer what it was like to live through the war.