The drums are resonating throughout the whole market. People are moving slowly, some rhythmically from booth to booth making their path through the dense crowd, but also admiring the crafts from artists of over a hundred countries. Fine basketry made of sisal fibers, plant needles, raffia, vetiver, beautifully woven fabrics, blown glass work, jewels, pottery, carpets, gourd carvings, just to name a few, are offered to the public’s delight; old traditions kept alive.
It is hard to figure out in which country the market is happening. It could be anywhere, Africa, Peru, India. It doesn’t matter. One can feel the love, patience and caring put in every single piece of art. The colors are a joy to the eye and the heart.
This time the topic is the tree of life, represented in many cultures all over the world. A few artists of the different countries come here to introduce the world to their work. They then go back teaching others how they can become a more sustainable community and improve their quality of life using their traditional crafts.
I remember having read the story about an anthropologist who invited a group of children somewhere in Africa to race against each other. He put a basket full of fresh fruits in the shadow of a tree and told them that this would be the winner’s prize. He gave the start signal. Instead of everybody racing towards the goal, the children held hand and run together, enjoying each others company. They all reached the finish line at the same time. They split the fruits in the basket under each other, savoring together every bite of it.
The anthropologist was curious of what initiated this behavior. They replied: “ubuntu” - “How could one of us be happy while the rest of us is not?” In the Xhosa culture “ubuntu” means “I am, because we are.” (1)
How profound. I just had to remember. The idea of community is one of the building blocks of society and I could feel it today.
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