Go ahead: read the title again. "Typical Jenius," you might say, "As self-centered as ever." Maybe you shake your head. "Thinks that all this messed-up Island needs is Him! Like He's going to wave some sort of Jenius wand and fix it all!"
Yes, I do have a magic Jenius wand and yes I do think I could eventually fix what's wrong with My Island, but it would take the kind of dictatorial effort that is (a) anathema to My general inclinations and (b) ridiculous to think could ever come true.
No, I mean what the title says: Puerto Rico Needs Me...referring to You.
You who sees what the problems are and are already hard at work making solutions happen.
You who sees what the problems are and can spare the brain-time to seek solutions.
You who can see the problems and can spare the time to tell others where the solutions are coming together.
You who can perceive the problems and wish with all your heart that someone would let you help with the solutions.
You who perceive the problems and would help if a practical solution would be presented to you.
You who perceive the problems and would help only when its convenient, meaning when your chips are in the fire...as they are or soon will be.
And you who only occasionally perceives a problem, but gets all riled up about it and wants to do something now. You at least have a form of monkey-rage that can be useful, if properly guided.
As for the rest of you, those who perceive the problems and shrug their shoulders, shake their heads or make plans to live in Orlando, We don't need you. Those of you who perceive the problems and are waiting for "someone" to fix them, We don't want you. If the "someone" you expect to fix the problem is from the U.S. of part of A., do Us a favor and drop dead. And if you don't perceive any problems, but complain and moan and bitch that everything sucks while cashing your unearned checks...well, I already suggested another group drop dead, so why be redundant?
It is an inescapable fact: We are Puerto Rico, We are Our problem and thus We need Us to solve it. Too few of Us see that, fewer if Us accept this basic Truth and woefully--pitifully--very few of Us are trying.
But We are trying. It is a hard thing to do, this saving of a nation from itself, from its indifferences and biases and venalities. Nobody has to do it, but all of Us are required to.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
6 comments:
Navel gazing is our national hobby. Let's hope some more people start caring about our island but as I see it it's not happening.
Adelante y éxito.
Sucks, doesn't it? We might be at the point where We need a dictator or a major catastrophe to make Us seek a better path. Not keen on either one; don't like what's not happening. What a situation...
You can first start with spaying and neutering your dogs and cats. It makes me sick every day to see new puppies on the side of the road. Once you take care of the dead dog problem you can stop littering and maybe, just maybe, recycle. If you can manage all that then please have some manners on the road and think of someone else.
Jeff
Jeff, you are right. The stray animal problem We have is atrocious and Our littering ranks just as low. As for them being the first priority, I'm not that sure. But it is a starting point and a visible one that can generate additional momentum for change.
Recycling? We have too little infrastructure set up to make it easy/convenient/worthwhile. Maybe a combination "ordinance plus Municipal investment" to force a short-term change.
As for road manners, good luck. We are not the best behaved, for sure, but I have encountered worse in large U.S. of part of A. cities.
Not enough space here to debate "think of someone else." I can see Us as being self-centered too often, but I also see Us being to selfLESS too often as well: parents going without so their kids can "hang with the crowd," employees putting up with horrible jobs to please another (a spouse, "friendly" boss, etc.) and other examples. If there;s something We do need desperately is a sense of personal responsibility for Our actions and inactions, that We CAN select and mold Our destiny, as individuals and as a society. We get indoctrinated that "Problems are solved by others" and too many of Us refuse to break free of that brainwashing.
We're not perfect; nobody is. But We can do and be so much more if We believed it and acted accordingly. So can everybody else, but My main concern is Us.
These problems are normal when you consider that those involoved probably don't see themselves responsible for them or anything else that goes on on the island.
On a small scale, somebody will take care of the litter, stray dog/cat. On a larger scale, the U.S. will take care of our problems. Just like when a baby needs to have his ass wiped clean. The problem is that the baby is decades old and wearing Depends.
This is symptomatic of people used to lean on another and who on top of that develop bad habits. We accept things others wouldn't. Worse, those who move abroad don't (usually) do these things because the rest simply won't put up with such crap. A dictatorship is not necessary. You need supervision and enforced laws. Those who moved to Eldorlando probably are better behaved because simply they better do it for their own sake.
As to why we also put up with exploitation, those on the receiving end may have no alternative and those on the giving end simply couldn't care less about others and society in general.
You remember what Gandhi said: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world". He also considered cowardice the worst of defects, something unforgivable.
David, I couldn't stand the idea of a dictator here simply because I feel "Enough is enough."
I don't agree that those of Us on the receiving end can't do anything about exploitation. A simple example: I carry no debt. No credit cards or loans of any kind. Refuse to consider them a "convenience" because they are only convenient to the issuer. So "the system" has no hold over Me. I chose that. There are other methods, some of them even quite violent.
The rest of your commentary is sadly true. The Gandhi quote tends to permeate My activities, but not to the extent where I can consider Myself a true change agent. I know I try; I could do more. And
I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.
Post a Comment