Dear Editor,
I was extremely inspired by Mr Laurie Greenidge’s poignant, but refreshing letter ‘Independent living’ which was published in the March 1 edition of the Stabroek News.
Mr Greenidge is an elderly gentleman who cultivates his own vegetable garden. He received support from friends to start his project because of a visual impairment, and now that his garden is producing, Mr Greenidge shares the harvest with others. As he informs us, his efforts were both derided and commended at the beginning.
The ridicule that this gentleman received is not surprising. Like almost every developing country, Guyana has succumbed to the flawed notions of Western modernity, and adopted the same profligate habits. Without towering malls (with palm trees), fast-food outlets and supermarkets, we feel excluded from the currency of the world. Thus, for the paramours of fried chicken, thick grease and processed foods, the idea of an organic vegetable garden is laughable. Someone meddling with dirt and literally growing food represents a backward step, because who else would want to labour in the sun for okra when the same can be readily acquired in a supermarket. Who would want to return to the days of ‘hardship’ when a quick ride in the car to the supermarket a block away would suffice?
Conspicuous consumption: That’s what defines our ‘modern’ existence. We no longer eat at home; we eat out. We no longer walk or bike around; we drive. We no longer need one car; we must have one per family member. No wonder therefore that everywhere seems punctuated with fast-food franchises, food-import establishments and other businesses which feed these mindless, excessive habits. And if there is any doubt about the perilous outcomes of such self-indulgence, we need only look at the anxious, panting and overweight people in our midst.
Ironically, organic farming and communalism are today largely embraced by more enlightened people in the West. Organic supermarkets attract as many customers as the traditional ones, and farmers’ markets are extremely popular and well-received. People have begun to abandon the comfort food establishments in favour of healthier alternatives. In Guyana the opposite is true: people drown themselves in the unhealthy options, while contemptuously discarding the fresh, organic bounty. We are idealizing the skeletons of a version of Western modernity, duping ourselves into believing that we are ‘hip,’ ‘modern,’ informed. But nothing could be further from the truth. While the West yearns for our coconut water and fresh produce, we salivate for their processed foods and unwholesome habits. We are playing catch-up with the West, one obese, mimicking person at a time.
Ultimately, Mr Greenidge’s vegetable garden is ‘absurd’ because it does not conform to the carnivorous appetites we label ‘modern.’ What it represents is a paradigm of holistic development that is built on respect for oneself and the environment. Instead of greed, excess and bloodshed we find in the gold-mining camps, there is appreciation of nature, moderation and sharing. Exploitative business transactions and the envy, crime and death they engender are replaced by care and harmony. The lust for power, wealth and instant gratification is undone by equality, fairness and discipline.
Compared to our insalubrious, predatory models, the only truly progressive, sustainable paradigm—the only modern, enlightened practice I recognize is that of an astute, elderly gentleman cultivating his vegetable garden. Thank you, Mr Laurie Greenidge for sharing your story, and for being a beacon in a benighted country. I wish you every abundance in your organic garden and life.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Khan
