Restrained Greatness

I know what It's like to be physically willing and able and even ambitious enough to work, but its not enough.

Powerlessness is seeking to grow financially and spiritually but no matter how well you do in your local economy it's never enough to save. Even if you could save, the banks are corrupt and offer no interest in your deposits and there is not much that you can lucratively invest in.

That's how it was in the Dominican Republic.

Getty Images- Dominican Republic

I've heard the rain as it trickled and tickled the tin roofs. That's what would often wake my cousin in the summers of the Dominican Republic. The morning showers never had much thunder, but the rain was enough to start the day off in a dreary mood.

The rain meant cousin Francisco's baseball practice would be canceled that morning. The rain meant the food would be late to the market and would delay Auntie Maria from starting preparations for the most popular lunch in town.

The family business would be down and out that day and my cousin's dream of becoming a world class baseball player was one practice session further.

The saddest part of it all was that I'd witness it all as an American on Summer break. I'd leave soon enough, I'd go back to middle school and without much effort I could guarantee at least a decent life in the United States by just finishing school and finding a steady job.

My family in the Dominican Republic fought for survival every day of their lives. They were humble about it and I'd never seen them down and out because, unbeknownst to me at the time, my mother had always sent me with an envelope full of money to help my aunt and to alleviate the pressure of having yet another mouth to feed for the months that I'd be there.

Looking back at it now, I know it was cheaper for my mother to send me to the Dominican Republic instead of finding some summer program to put me in, but my god, at least we had that option. A passport from the United States grants you access to 144 countries without visa and another 38 countries that grant visas upon arrival. Only 24 countries in the world require a United States passport holder to have a visa upon arrival.
Compare that to my cousin's chance at the same. A passport from the Dominican Republic will give you access to 31 countries visa free and 36 with visas upon arrival. 124 countries require Dominicans to acquire a Visa before arrival.

Dominican passport holders only have free access to 16% of the world compared to an American's 74%. How many opportunities would your typical Dominican have to make international relationships? If they wanted to leave the country and seek a better life elsewhere there was a 74% chance they couldn't afford to, unless they crossed borders illegally. Safe to say, the fact that the country is an Island Nation, there's no leaving without some stash of cash.

My aunt didn't participate in one of the Dominican Republic's largest industries. She wasn't in the tourism sector, there were no manufacturing plants nearby, and though there were mines nearby, they didn't accept women at the time. She cooked for her local community. Lunch time at Tia Maria's house was a central hub for the town of Villa Altagracia and though the house was packed for lunch and dinner, they'd only make enough to get by.

Getty Images- Fried Chicken for Lunch

They had no chance to really save and even if they could save what would they invest in? A place at the table in the big industries has always been reserved for the elite by invitation only. It was only recently that the Dominican Republic opened its own stock market and even now, in its nascent stages, the options for investment are meager.

That's what it means to feel powerless. It's unfortunate, but an individual living in the Global South really only has one chance to financial success. This chance is rooted in familial ties and/or illicit activity. Very seldom does luck or the sweat of your brow lead to success. But there is always something you are not powerless in. 
There is one thing I have noticed that is a blessing. The United States has a lot of good things going for it but, I have never seen a community in the US as tight knit as the one in my cousin's neighborhood. Perhaps the fact that there's not much to envy is why they are so tightknit. Perhaps its because they must rely on one another to live and thrive, they are not just neighbors you wave to when you get home and disappear into your house. 

In the midst of powerlessness there's a sense of restrained greatness in the Global South. You see that greatness shine in the people and the way they let their barriers down to invite you. It's easy to discover that no matter where you find yourself on the planet, there will be a group of humans nearby willing to be a part of a close knit community. In the Global South, they are powerless in many respects but not in the relationships they can share with others, in the kindness and efforts individuals can make for eachother.

No matter where you are in the world, be it the Amazon Rainforest or the high-rises of Manhattan, community will always be the most valuable thing in this life. My experiences with my family in the Dominican Republic have taught me not to be tricked into believing its money that makes people truly wealthy. I realized that in Tia Maria's home restaurant. So long as the community has enough to eat and can share a meal and a conversation in the safety of their neighborhood, the community is wealthy.

I want to show the world that life is a scroll riddled with ink. The marks will only ever be simple blots on the parchment unless you pause and perceive them for the characters they are.

I’m constantly thinking about what the future could look like if we just take action.

More of my thoughts about the future and the world around us are coming soon....

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