They're trying

It’s so very easy to be discouraged by what I see all around me…huge mounds of trash everywhere, shanty towns that just cover large areas with “housing” that can only be called that to indicate that people actually live in them, watching people just routinely throw garbage and trash on the ground when a bin is nearby, little children with eyes that tell you life is not a joy, and a myriad of other “negative” aspects to Indian society. And yet……they’re trying. There were two full pages in the newspaper about programs that are working to find, designate, and elevate people of potential in the worst possible places…programs that give the marginalized a chance. Carol asked me the other day what I would do to begin making a change and difference in the garbage problem…I told her I didn’t even know where to start…it’s just that the enormity of the problem makes even little steps like those mentioned above seem like drops in the bucket and of little use. But with all the problems, the spirit of the people seems undaunted. The warmth and acceptance from all levels of economic well-being and social status is always present….from the man trudging down the street with ragged clothes to the family sitting in the fancy restaurant, there is a genuineness to their smiles and friendly looks. We’ve been continually impressed by how hard everybody tries to make it…sometimes it seems pushy and interfering, but they really hustle to get ahead. They are not a people to stand back and say: “Woe is me, life is against me.” Taxis, tuk-tuks, and pedal rickshaw drivers continually hustle for a fare. At the travel agency where we booked our Tiger Reserve trip, they wanted to know why we weren’t booking the down road activities with them. You can’t walk past the shops in the bazaars without being besieged to come inside and “Just look.” With 10,000 tuk-tuks in Agra and literally hundreds of stalls selling exactly the same shawls and souvenirs, everybody is looking for an edge. When there are a billion plus people, hustle is the word, in both its positive and negative aspects. Indian society is so complex…the old caste system has been abolished and the change seemingly accepted, marriages by young people are now increasingly by choice rather than by arrangement, and, there are lots of positive signs that give one encouragement for the future of the people. I had a great conversation with Prakash, our Servas host in Indore, who unfortunately couldn’t have us stay overnight as planned due to the death of his mother just before we arrived, but I was able to gain an insight that is missing when we just see with our eyes and not with our hearts and minds. I asked him about the fact that all the advertisements on TV, billboards, and print media all feature light-skinned people and do not reflect the vast range of skin tones we see. Tamil Nadus are as dark as West Africans and more so that most African Americans…I mentioned that 50 years ago you never saw anything except white faces on American TV or advertisements and wondered if it was the same here…he said: “Indeed, it was.” There is a general perception that light is good and dark is…well, not as good. They sell creams that will “lighten the skin,” and that advancement and placement is much easier for those of lighter skin. He asked us about the secret to our good health in our 70’s because as he said: “The 80 year old American has the same level of health as Indian at 60. That was interesting to me because I don’[t consider Americans to be a particularly healthy population. Language continues to be a problem in India where there are officially 122 different languages spoken…we have been at performances and in situations where only English is spoken for directions and explanations because it is the only one they can be assured everybody will understand. I even gave up trying to say “thank you” in the local language because it changed from town to town, and I never even knew which language the person I was speaking to spoke. A simple “Thank you, “seems appreciated. Namaste, with hands clasped in front of the neck and lower face is accepted and given by all forms of society, no matter where. I keep going back in my mind to the comment made to Carol in Sacramento by the lady who overheard her saying she was going to India: “It’s all true,” she said, “The good and the bad.” Those were such insightful words that I am learning have much more truth to them than I could have imagined. One thing about Indian society is truly a paradox considering the filth that surrounds you everywhere… Actually, the Indian people are a very clean people. You continually see women (and occasionally men) doing laundry. Children and adults all wear clean clothes. When you see some ragamuffin in dirty clothes then you know their situation is truly desperate. As we pass by small villages on the bus or train, in the early mornings we pass many women stooped over with brooms made of willow type branches about 3 feet long sweeping the front of their abode even if it is dirt and not concrete or tile. In towns, before a store opens the floor is swept as is the sidewalk out front. This cleanliness seems to fly in the face of the stark reality of the condition of the environment…It’s as if their personal space and body are under their control and they don’t worry about the rest of it. We have been continually impressed by the helpfulness and friendliness of people in all walks of life…looking at a big board with train numbers, somebody will come up and show us our train. On the platform a man will see me looking at the track numbers and direct us to the proper track. On board, another man will give us all the information we need. “The next stop is yours and the train will stop for 20 minutes so don’t worry about getting to the door immediately. You will have time.”….this happens so many times in all that we do…it is always done in a friendly, helpful way with smiles and warmth. Headline of the day: “noise pollution interfering with bird mating calls.” No surprise there. It’s a cacophony of noise in the cities.