“Oh my God, I have to have it!” I laughed, as the woman at the market stall showed me her husband’s latest creation. Holding a camera made out of a flattened beer can, she pushed the button, and a spring-loaded, wooden face with wild, yarn hair and a huge sequin grin came popping out of the lens.
That camera for me encapsulated the spirit of the people on this Caribbean island – their creativity, innovation and sense of play, often despite great hardship. As those who have traveled to this part of the world know, there is a huge gap between the haves and have-nots. The coasts are fringed with expensive resorts on gorgeous white sand beaches alongside tranquil turquoise water, while just a few miles inland are villages so poor that in some places, they’re begging for soap. Yet, time and time again, the Caribbean natives I met were extremely open, loving, and giving, generously sharing both their time and their limited resources.
That’s not to say that all poor people are happy, and all rich people are not. Nor that wealth is evil. Quite the contrary, for me, money represents freedom and opportunity. It’s a powerful, important gift when used appropriately: toward fulfilling one’s life passions and in the service of others.
I cracked up again as I pushed the grinning face back into the beer can. This wasn’t the most elegant piece of artwork I had ever brought home from my travels, but it was fast becoming my favorite.
© 2011 by Laurie Gardner