Reply To: Exercise 5: 5 People Who Feel the Problem
Initiative Week 5 – 5 People Who Feel the Problem
1. Martha, a single mother of 2 who cleans houses for a living told me about the level of trash being thrown in the street being so great that it sometimes prevents cars from being able to pass because it is things like mattresses, furniture, car parts, etc. “I get so upset when I see the piles building up! The city is a big part of the problem because it announces that it will come by for the trash and then never shows up. Even if you call them, they don’t respond to complaints. Also, people just don’t learn in their homes not to throw their trash on the ground.”
2. Vicky, a yoga teacher who lives in Merida now but moved here from Tabasco state reports the problem of people just tossing anything in the street like bottles or candy wrappers . “It bothers me a lot. I feel like it is just customary behavior that needs to be taught in the home first and also in schools. I didn’t really learn until I was 15 and I traveled to another city that was different and I really liked how clean it was. It made me change my attitude”
3. Rita is a professional Mexican woman with her own business married to a man from Canada. She immediately identified “I feel angry and totally frustrated that nothing is ever done about people leaving piles of garbage in the street. There are laws but even if you complain nothing is done about it. I feel embarrassed when we have visitors and we drive by a corner with large piles accumulating there. People aren’t well educated and they don’t want to pay 20 pesos a month for garbage collection. They just feel like they can drop whatever they want wherever they want.” She suggested neighborhood groups that talk to one another and keep each other accountable.
4. Diego is a physical therapist in his 30’s. When asked how he feels when he sees people dropping litter in the street he says “I feel angry and disappointed. I came from the cleanest city in Mexico. We were recognized for it as a World Heritage City and we grew up taking pride in our city by taking care of it and keeping it clean. When I see how people throw things without even thinking here it is frustrating.” He also said that people need to be educated and that getting young people engaged with Tik-Tok videos might be a way to make it fun and engaging.
5. My fifth person was unavailable in time for me to write this up.
REFLECTIONS:
Before I started the conversations I was thinking I had to find specific people who would be experiencing the problem, for example restaurant owners on the Paseo. What I realized is that I could really talk to anyone, so that’s how I started. I had a conversation with the friend who cleans our house, my yoga instructor, a friend who helps foreigners navigate all the governmental systems when they become residents, and my physical therapist. I had a conversation with the young person who works in the bulk food store set up but was unable to finish that one. Before I started I felt a bit intimidated, fearing people would think I was an outsider and that I was being critical of their city. Those feelings changed immediately when I had my first conversation because the people wanted to talk about it and were positive about a project that addresses this. I talked about my interest coming from how much I love Merida and each of them were enthusiastic to talk about their feelings and experiences. They were also very positive and encouraging about doing something about it with my project.
I am feeling encouraged about my project and excited to find ways that the people I have talked to can participate, as each of them has expressed an interest in finding out more. Though the assignment wasn’t to get advice, some offered advice and I think could be helpful. I can’t exactly say my solution is better developed but I’m motivated to keep moving forward.
Every time I have had a conversation for these exercised I have walked away feeling happy to have had that conversation and buoyed by peoples’ interest.