I just finished reading the extraordinary collection of essays The Shadow of the Sun by the late Polish journalist and writer Ryszard Kapuściński about his experiences in Africa. While mesmerized by his brilliant, highly-personal accounts, I was struck by one particular story in which he describes the vital role a great mango tree plays within an African village. The tree not only provides shelter from the hot sun during the day it also offers a place to assemble in the evening. So vital is this mango tree to everyday village life that should lightening strike the tree and destroy it, the people there will also perish. He explains:
Without the means to assemble, they will be unable to make any decision, reach any resolution. But above all they will be unable to recount their history, which exists only in the process of being retold during evening gatherings beneath the tree. Because of this they will quickly lose their knowledge about their yesterday, will lose their memory of it. They will become people without history, meaning—they will be nobody. They will lose that which united them, will disperse, each one going off in a separate direction, alone.
Indeed, the tree is both a physical meeting place as well as a symbol of a social contract, of continuity and history. For as long as people respect the tree’s importance, they will survive as a village.
This resonated for me. At the heart of it, we are all social beings. And yet, American society rewards rugged individualism, often at the expense of community; personal success over public interest. It comes as no surprise that we thirst for more meaningful relationships in an increasingly fragmented culture. This natural tendency to connect is the drive train behind the popularity of social media communities.
While this phenomenon has enabled us to engage in new ways, it has also lent a sort of transient haphazardness to our interactions. It seems that we would be wise to get “face time” with each other on occasion. Get out and make eye-contact. Create real networks instead of virtual ones. Stop phoning in meetings from the car wash. Be there to inspire and support one another. Build a community. Find a mango tree.
2 Comments
Yes, it’s so true… face-to-face contact is so important in all aspects of
society, beginning with Family. So let’s plan that family cruise!
The mango tree story reminds me of the devastating impact of Stalin’s
collectivization program, and especially the Holodomor (the artificial famine of 1932-33), on Ukrainian society, aimed explicitly on the destruction of the Village and its collective memory of history and tradition.
Tato
I had my first real life meeting of a Twitter contact yesterday. Meeting under the mango tree (actually a downtown loft) made the connecting deeper and real.