The Beauty of Community
Tuesday, I returned back to Dakar from my last visit to Mbam this time around in Senegal. I'm still working on perfecting my entry to try to capture the essence of Mbam and what it is about village life that grabs me. But in the mean time, I thought I'd post on one of the aspects of life in the bush that attracts me.Community. That's what it is. In Mbam, everyone knows everyone. They stop in the road to greet one another and chat. And though small communities have their disadvantages too, namely gossip, a person has a true sense of belonging. When I return to Dakar, I am always surprised by how many people there are. People pass one another on the street without the slightest acknowledgment. Everyone does their own thing. But fortunately, human nature, drives us to search and create a community. And I've created that for myself in various ways, even in the hustle and bustle of big city life.
In Mermoz, my neighborhood, I obviously don't know the majority of people that live there. However, I have created a group of friends, and I often encounter them on the road when I come home from work and go out at night. Tuesday, after returning from Mbam, I was on my way to the tailor's, and feeling sad about leaving Mbam, when I encountered a friend sitting by the street. I stopped and chatted for a bit, and that's when I realized that even in this big neighborhood, I still had a community and network of friends. Then there's also a group of young boys that play soccer in the street. One of them figured out my name, and now they all call out to me when I pass by their game.
My American friends always commented that if walking with me in Mermoz, it took them 10 minutes longer to get somewhere because I stopped to greet everyone I knew along the way.
I've also found a community for myself in Point E, the neighborhood in which I work. Today, I was shocked when I left the office to go get cafe touba (a spiced coffee from the city of Touba; it's very good) and two people I passed on the street greeted me by calling out my name, "Anna." One man was walking carrying a large lunch bowl, and the other was driving by in his car. I didn't recognize them, but they seemed to know me. After my cup of coffee, I passed by a fruit stand and said hello to the young vendor from whom I buy fruit from time to time. Then I continued on to my usual lunch stand where all the waitstaff (not a very good wordchoice for this eating environment) know my name, as do most of the people who eat their regularly. It's a good feeling.
I crave community. I subsist on interhuman interactions. I thrive in settings in which I know people and people know me. I think these daily interactions with people are what make each day worth living.
This is why I love the village of Mbam, the neighborhood of Mermoz in Dakar, and the small community of Macalester College.
I don't know what will happen when I return to the US where I don't stand out quite as much as I do here. There I'll blend into the background with my white skin and speaking the local language won't be a surprise to anyone. People won't take such an interest in me anymore. I hope that I can continue to find and create little communities for myself where ever my life takes me. The lesson I will take with me from Senegal is the importance of greeting your fellow humans, being open to conversation and taking the time to chat casually with others. That is how relationships and communities are built.
Over and out. 11 days until I'm Stateside again. Wow!
posted by Hannah Gelder @ 2:51 PM
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