A new way of living and thinking in the Virgin Islands

WeWata · 2012-07-13T20:54:19Z

I was going to reply to the other thread about litter but my response got so long and I started going on some other tangents. So I thought I would start a new thread with some of my ideas. Why do you see local people hurling trash, diapers, etc from their cars? Why do you see tons of trash on the side of the road after the bush has been cut back? Or perhaps you have been to Cane Bay after a festival- its quite sad to see all the trash in and out of the water. I think the problem is: the respect for the land is not present and died out a couple generations back. I've lived in Hawaii and there is very little trash anywhere. The difference is: Hawaiians consider themselves the pioneers of those islands (although they do recognize that the menehune came first). The Hwaiians hold the ocean, earth, and their inhabitants in high reverence. The Hawaiians have a term called mana which is the energy given off by inanimate objects including the earth. The Virgin Islands also have incredible mana. Some people "bahn" here are in tune with it. Niyorah and his dad are good examples on St. Thomas. If you go to Cane Bay and have a fresh coconut cut down by a young, fit, local kid- he's in tune too. I do believe the real Rastas and farmers feel it for sure. There are plenty more locals who feel it, but they are a minority, especially the youth. Some people who are not originally from here but have made this place their home, also feel the mana. By the way, the feeling is not as strong with shoes or sandals on- gotta be barefoot. Everyone should have a deep respect for the place that they live and a desire to give back to the land. Tan tan has taken over, top soil has been eroded, entire lots are cleared when a house is built, rivers and streams which used to flow all year are dried up or perrenial. Mangroves have been decimated and natrual salt ponds filled. The point is: the people of the Virgin Islands, both bahn here and flown here, need to realize the beauty of this land, and strive to cherish and preserve this land. The african decendents should be proud to be the inheritors of these beautiful islands- they should consider themseves the stewards of this land because they have shaped it through the centuries and given their blood, sweat, and tears to carve a living from these rocks surrounded by water. They are tough just like the land but also capable of great things just like the land. While statesiders are trying to move down here to live in "paradise" , many locals can't wait to get to the states. Part of this can be attributed to lack of opportunity which is for a different discussion. However, many do not "see" the beauty of this place. Drive down the road and watch how many diffrent color flowers there are, the infinite shades of green, the beautiful blue sky meeting the even bluer water. Amazing danish architecture standing the test of time. Huge mahogany trees older than the oldest elder. Fruit growing wild: papayas, mangos, soursop, sugar apple, passionfruit, coconut, starfruit, cashew, breadfruit and on. Lets not forget the incredible rock formations, the biologically rich guts (ghuts), and ancient buried coral reefs which formed when sea levels were much higher. In addition to the land, the water surrounding these islands is equally awe inspiring. Crystal clear ocean waters and reefs teeming with life. A healthy reef has some of the highest concentraions of biological life per square area than any other symbiotic system. Many have heard this but have never seen with their own eyes. If you dive down with a scuba tank and mask and select a 2'x2' section of reef to observe, you can litterally expend the enitre air supply looking at all the different creatures inhabiting that small area. There's huge brain corals older than the oldest mahogany trees. Sea grass beds supporting a robust green turtle and conch population. Incredible bathymetry from shallow lagoons to deep wall drops into a trench. Underwater caves and swim throughs with huge tarpon grazing by. Sunken ships have a story to tell too. The ocean is like someone with an unpredictable personality- you never quite know what to expect (although meteorolgy at least gives us a little heads up). Some days she is smooth as silk, other days she resembles a curduroy textile (I love those days). The sun is her fuel with wind being the engine. The sun's lightwaves heat the earth's atmoshphere at different rates which is what causes wind. The wind then transforms its energy to the ocean in the form of waves. By harnessing ocean waves and wind through recreation, you can in essence, tap into the sun's energy. The sun's location with respect to earth and the immesne quanitites of water present is what makes our planet so special. So those people who are able to not only appreciate this, but synchronize their lives with it, are to be admired. These people are directly tapped into solar energy and that is a powerful force. I think more people in the VI need to get back ...

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stt007

(@stt007)

Posts: 475

Reputable Member

Too many people are pigs and don't care about anyone else. they live like pigs at home, and others should just put up with their lifestyle. Littering is a pet peeve of mine. It is so sad we have devolved over the generations to not care about anyone but ourselves. it is a damn shame, and that attitude along with lawyers and psychologists, who also care nothing about anyone else except their own self aggrandizement and fight against personal responsibility, are helping drive us to second class status in the world. the only other "top tier' societies as filthy a ours are many of the Asian countries. i was amazed after living in Asia for a few years, how filthy our country had become over the time I was gone. Japan is the exception. But they care more about others in their society than the individual. We don't give a crap about anyone but ourselves. there are exceptions, but I am speaking of the general population.

Posted : July 16, 2012 12:51 am

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