PR GRITA! and 9-11 memories

I had to spend most of the weekend in bed due to the medicine that my dear doctor prescribed… The only interesting thing that I did was watch the 9-11 special that National Geographic aired.

It lasted for 4 hours, and it covered all events from 1990 to the 9-11 event. Somehow it got to me even more than simply watching the towers going down… I recall that I stayed home that day on sick leave, and I heard something in the radio about a crash. They were urging people to turn on the tv and see what was going on. As I did the second plane appeared and crashed against the other tower. It all looked as if it all was taken from a movie… Although the press tried it best to bring a good coverage, it was more of a fight to get the news first, a cannibalism on one event that simply was and had nothing different to offer but a harsh reality about the consequences of lack of tolerance and hate. The greatest evil deeds in the world has been done in the name of God. Anyway… The documentary was unbiased and focused on facts, and it somehow created more impact in me than the press coverage that they gave it for weeks. Amazing how an idea that took life in the minds of two kids became such a catastrophe. The mind is the strongest and deadliest weapon of them all.

We could think that it all happened years ago, and get laid back under the thought that nothing like that will happen again… But last year’s London bombing was the siren that should keep us awake and alert. Innocents are always the victims, and political agendas give way to terrorism because they create black holes that those who are very wary take advantage of. London’s incident was just months ago… and it is sad that somehow it has been forgotten because it was an incident that didn’t affect us directly. It takes a governor being stubborn and political flags clashing within legislative and executive branches to make people react to something in this little piece of earth within the Caribbean.

And is just that, react… A reaction because money won’t be available to get food, to cover expenses and to indulge themselves a bit… A reaction that doesn’t go beyond that slogan: “Que no jueguen con mis habichuelas”. If that had not happened, the laws about sales tax and the reconstruction of the governmental structure would keep on being ideas that wouldn’t even hit a desk… If this had not happened people would keep on choosing loosers at the election just because of fanatism towards the colors red, blue or green. And the saddest part, besides the fact that this government closing will lead to financial and social chaos, is that on the next elections the colors will keep on ruling people’s votes… because the idea of choosing leaders because of their abilities and genuine interest seems passé in a land that judges everyone by whom they know and bling-bling. It would be refreshing if people actually learned something from this experience…

Yesterday, some bamboos and trees in the small mountain right in front of my house collapsed. They fall reaching the sidewalk, obstructing the path for cars. Where I live there are no other side ways, and the way leads to another urbanization that relies completely on the main way. The thing is, a small traffic jam took place in both sides. People returning home could not pass, and people leaving their homes could not pass. It amused me how people just stared at the bamboos and trees, from inside their cars, and no one would actually get off their cars to move the fallen plants. From the side of people leaving their houses, a group of 3 surfers emerged from their car, which was lost in the traffic jam. The younglings at first just gathered around the trees, staring as trapped Sims that lifted their arms in the air screaming “What now”. Then out of the blue they got a machete and started tearing the trees apart. The firemen that I called finally arrived, just as the younglings cleared half of the way and the people stormed into it passing as if the world was gonna end or something… Even the firemen stared as if not knowing what to do, and one of the younglings suggested tying the trees to cars so they could be moved. And so they did. The youngling surfers had saved the day… because instead of sitting still and wishing they got on their feet and acted… not reacted. That is what makes a real difference. Reacting is shallow, a reflex. Acting involves thought and will and innovation and creativity.

So that’s the problem in this Island of Enchantment… People react. Reflexes do not involve deep thoughts or real solutions. And our leaders only do that… reacting to events, without thinking much of the future ahead of us. Makes me wish some young surfers would take the legislation and actually create laws to solve the crisis in PR… somehow, they have more brains than the actual people warming those seats.

10-4