The-Green-Banana

TheGreenBananaDonaldBatchelderAlthoughitmighthavehappenedanywhere,myencounterwiththegreenbananastartedonasteepmountainroadintheinteriorofBrazil.Myancientjeepwasstrainingupthroughspectacularcountrysidewhentheradiatorbegantoleak,tenmilesfromthenearestmechanic.Theoverheatedengineforcedmetostopatthenextvillage,whichconsistedofasmallstoreandascatteringofhouses.Peoplegatheredtolook.Threefinestreamsofhotwatershotfromholesinthejacketoftheradiator.“That’seasytofix,”amansaid.Hesentaboyrunningforsomegreenbananas.Hepattedmeontheshoulder,assuringmeeverythingwouldworkout.“Greenbananas,”hesmiled.Everyoneagreed.WeexchangedpleasantjokeswhileIwonderedattheramificationsofthegreenbanana.Askingquestionswouldbetraymyignorance,soIremarkedonthebeautyofthestretchofland.Hugerockformations,likeSugarLoafinRio,roseupallaroundus.“Doyouseethattallonerightoverthere?”askedmybenefactor,pointingtoaparticulartall,slenderpinnacleofdarkrock.“Thatrockmarksthecenteroftheworld.”Ilookedtoseeifheweremakingfunofme,buthisfacewasserious.HeinturninspectedmecarefullytobesureIgraspedthesignificanceofhisstatement.Theoccasiondemandedsomeshowofrecognitiononmypart.“Thecenteroftheworld?”Irepeated,tryingtoconveyinterestifnotcompleteacceptance.Henodded.“Theabsolutecenter.Everyonearoundhereknowsit.”Atthatmomenttheboyreturnedwithmygreenbananas.Themanslicedoneinhalfandpressedthecutendagainsttheradiatorjacket.Thebananameltedintoaglueagainstthehotmetal,pluggingtheleaksinstantly.Everyonelaughedatmyastonishment.Theyrefilledmyradiatorandgavemeextrabananastotakealong.Anhourlater,afteronemoreapplicationofgreenbanana,myradiatorandIreachedourdestination.Thelocalmechanicsmiled.“Whotaughtyouaboutthegreenbanana?”Inamedthevillage.“Didtheyshowyoutherockmarkingthecenteroftheworld?”,heasked.Iassuredhimtheyhad.“Mygrandfathercamefromthere,”hesaid.“Theexactcenter.Everyonearoundherehasalwaysknownaboutit.”AsaproductofAmericanhighereducation,Ihadneverpaidtheslightestattentiontothegreenbanana,excepttoregarditasafruitwhosetimehadnotyetcome.Suddenlyonthatmountainroad,itstimeandmyneedhadconverged.ButasIreflectedonitfurther,Irealizedthatthegreenbananahadbeenthereallalong.Itstimereachedbacktotheveryoriginsofthebanana.Thepeopleinthatvillagehadknownaboutitforyears.Myowntimehadcomeinrelationtoit.Thischanceencountershowedmethespecialgeniusofthosepeople,andthespecialpotentialofthegreenbanana.Ihadbeenwonderingforsometimeaboutthoseepisodesofclaritywhicheducatorslikecall“learningmoments”,andknewIhadjustexperiencedtwoofthematonce.Theimportanceoftherockmarkingthecenteroftheworldtookawhiletofilterthrough.Ihadinitiallydoubtedtheirclaim,knowingforafactthatthecenterwaslocatedsomewhereinNewEngland.Afterall,mygrandfatherhadcomefromthere.ButgraduallyIrealizedtheyhadvalidbelief,auniversalconcept,andIagreedwiththem.Wetendtodefinethecenterasthatspecialplacewhereweareknown,whereweknowothers,wherethingsmeanmuchtous,andwhereweourselveshavebothidentityandmeaning:family,town,andlocalregion.Thelessonwhichgraduallyfilteredthroughwasthesimpleconceptthateveryplacehasspecialmeaningsforthepeopleinit;everyplacerepresentsthecenterofworld.Thenumberofsuchcentersisincalculable,andnoonestudentortravelercanexperienceallofthem,butonceaconsciousbreakthroughtoasecondcenterismade,alife-longperspectiveandcollectioncanbegin.Theculturesoftheworldarefullofunexpectedgreenbananaswithspecialvalueandmeaning.Theyhavebeenthereforages,ripeningslowly,perhapswaitingpatientlyforpeopletocomealongtoencounterthem.Infact,agreenbananaiswaitingforallofuswholeaveourowncentersoftheworldinordertoexperienceotherplaces.(fromDonaldBatchelder&ElizabethG.Warner(eds.)AnExperientialApproachtoCross-CulturalEducation.ProlinguaAssociates,1974)