Robinson

During the last two weeks there has been a lot of talk about the state of cleanliness of our country. Some persons have been chastised for wanting to help to clean up Jamaica, and at the same time there are others who seem to think it is their responsibility to throw garbage any and everywhere. Perhaps it is time that we ask the question: how did we become such a nasty people?

In situations like this, it is always good to go back to one's childhood, where the basic lessons of keeping clean the home and yard in which you live are taught and learnt.

Memories of sweeping the yard with broom weed are fresh in my mind, as are the memories of sweeping up almond leaves from two almond trees. In those childhood days, one did not wait to be told to sweep up the yard, one did it automatically, and this usually ensured that none of one's childhood privileges were denied. At times, it might become necessary to sprinkle the yard before sweeping to reduce exposure to dust. At the end of that exercise, as children, we looked forward to the praise and commendations from our parents.

But that was the easy work. It is the cleaning of the board floor that was the real test of one's skill. In those days the floor was wiped clean, and then an application of a red liquid stain, called straw dye (a derivative of logwood) was applied. This red liquid was like a weapon of mass destruction. Only the very expert, and the very, very skilled could apply this without being contaminated. Fingers, hands and, yes, your knees, would invariably be covered with this bright red substance.

Floor cleaning

In most rural households, floor cleaning was done by both girls and boys. In time one learnt to master the art, and took pride in showing off how beautiful and shine your area was, after the application of polish (Poliflor) and the use of the good old coconut brush. Some children even developed special rhythmic motions to make the shining process more enjoyable, because in those days of only radio, entertainment was at a premium, and every effort was made to entertain oneself doing some very basic things.

Living in rural Jamaica, there was no garbage truck, and there certainly were no streets lined with garbage. Now in Jamaica, it is not unusual to see garbage strewn on a sidewalk in front of a new embassy building, or for garbage to be as high as six feet in a gully behind a house that is built on the gully bank. But in communities that one would not expect to see garbage on the streets, we also see it very present outside fancy homes and, yes, some office buildings.

On this the eve of the start of Cricket World Cup, when we will welcome thousands of visitors to our country, let us work on maintaining clean communities and homes. Perhaps the initiative by the churches (HOPE) can continue long after April, as we try to work with communities to keep them clean.

We have come a long way from straw dye under our fingernails and broom weed to sweep up our yards. This is the age of the ceramic and not terrazzo tiles. It is the age of the 'Swiffer Wet Jet' and, yes, garbage bags. And where these are not available, the proverb, 'old broom know the corner' is applicable.

There really is no excuse to be nasty. Clean homes and communities will create clean minds, and individuals who appreciate and care about decency. Jamaica must demand this, but each person must accept responsibility for their space.