The-Green-Banana.docx

TheGreenBananaDonaldBalcheklerlthoughitmighthavehappenedanywhere,myencounterwiththegreenbananastartedonasteepmountainroadintheinteriorofBrazil.Myancientjeepwasstrainingupthroughspectacularcountrysidewhentheradiatorbegantoleak,tenmilesfromthenearestmechanic.Theoverheatedengineforcedmetostopatthenextvillage,whichconsistedofasmallstoreandascatteringofhouses.Peoplegatheredtolook.Threefinestreamsofhotwatershotfromholesinthejacketoftheradiator."That'seasytofix."amansaid.HCsentaboyrunningforsomegreenbananas.Hcpattedmeontheshoulder,assuringmecvcr>rthingwouldworkout.*Grecnbananas/,hesmiled.Everjoneagreed.WcexchangedpleasantjokeswhileIwonderedattheramificationsofthegreenbanana.Askingquestionswouldbetraymyignorance,soIremarkedonthebeautyofthestretchofland.Hugerockformations,likeSugar1.oafinRio.roseupallaroundus."Doyouseethattallonerightoverthere?”askedtnybenefactor,pointingtoaparticulartall,slenderpinnacleofdarkrock,"Thatrockmarksthecenteroftheworld/"Ilookedtoseeifheweremakingfunofme,buthisfacewasserious.HeinturninspectedmecarefullytobesureIgraspedthesignificanceofhisstatcmcnl.Theoccasiondemandedsomeshowofrecognitiononmypart.4tThccenteroftheworld?*'1repeated,tryingtoconveyinterestifnotcompleteacceptance.Henodded."Theabsolutecenter.Everyonearoundhereknowsii.”Atthatmomenttheboyreturnedwithmygreenbananas.Themanslicedoneinhalfandpressedthecutendagainsttheradiatorjacket.Thebananameltedintoaglueagainstthehotmetal,pluggingtheleaksinstantly.Everyonelaughedatmyastonishment.Theyrefilledmyradiatorandgavemeextrabananastotakealong.Anhourlater,afteronemoreapplicationofgreenbanana,myradiatorandIreachedourdestination.Thelocalmechanicsmiled.,Whotaughtyouaboutthegreenbanana?"Inamedthevillage."Didtheyshowyoutherockmarkingthecenteroftheworld?”,heasked.Iassuredhimtheyhad,"Mygrand11thcrCamCfromIhCrCJhCSaid,"Theexactcenter.Everyonearoundherehasalwaysknownaboutit/'AsaproductofAmericanhighereducation,Ihadneverpaidheslightestattentiontothegreenbanana,excepttoregarditasafruitwhosetimehadnotyetcome.Suddenlyonthatmountainroad,itstimeandmyneedhadconverged.ButasIreflectedonitfurther.1realizedthatthegreenbananahadbeenthereallalong.Itstin>ereache<lbacktotheveryoriginsofthebanana.ThePeOPleinthatvillagehadknownaboutitforyears.Myowntimehadconicinrelationtoit.ThisChanCCencountershowedmethespecialgeniusofthosepeople,andthespecialpotentialofthegreenbanana.1hadbeenwonderingforsometimeaboutthoseepisodesofclaritywhicheducatorslikecall''learningmoments”,andknewIIiadjustexperiencedtwoofthematonce.Theimportanceoftherockmarkingthecenteroftheworldtookawhiletofilterthrough.Ihadinitiallydoubtedtheirclaim,knowingforafactthatthecenterwaslocatedSOinCwhereinNewEngland.Afterall,myg11nd11jthcrhadcomefromthere.ButgraduallyIrealizedtheyhadvalidbelief,auniversalconcept,andIagreedwiththem.Wetendtodefinethecenterasthatspecialplacewhereweareknown,whereweknowothers,wherethingsmeanmuchtous,aulwhereweourselveshavebothidentityandmeaning:family,town,andlocalregion.Thelessonwhichgraduallyfilteredthroughwasthesimpleconceptthateveryplacehasspecialmeaningsforthepeopleinit;everyplacerepresentsthecenterofworld.Thenumberofsuchcentersisincalculable,andnoonestudentortravelercanexperienceallofthem,butonceaconsciousbreakthroughtoasecondcenterismade,alife-longperspectiveandcollectioncanbegin.Theculturesoftheworldarcfullofunexpectedgreenbananaswithspecialvalueandmeaning.Theyhavebeenthereforages,ripeningslowly,perhapswaitingpatientlyforpeopletoColnealongtoencounterthem.Infact,agreenbananaiswaitingforallofuswholeaveourowncentersoftheworldinordertoexperienceotherplaces.(fromDonaldBatchelder&ElizabethG.Warner(eds.)AnExperientialApproachtoCross-CulturalEducation.ProlinguaAssociates,1974)