Whatever They Give You, Take It

Whatever They Give You, Take It
October 11, 2012
Erasmo Calzadilla

HAVANA TIMES — In almost all bakeries where they make bread rolls for
our households, the clerks handle the "products" with the same grimy
hands they use to count bills and coins. Even in times like these — with
diarrheal epidemics and shortages of medicines — this practice continues.

Recently a completely uncouth clerk at my local bakery sneezed into his
hands, wiped them off on his clothes and then went back to handing out
the bread.

It's normal that this happens among peoples who aren't familiar with
pathogenic microbes or basic hygiene. What's "strange" is that this is
also happening in Cuba.

People here know that this guy is a pig. Nobody likes the fact that he
handles their food, but nobody complains or protests. Why not?

It seems that resignation has established itself as a cultural "value"
of our people – that and a kind of totalitarian populism that misjudges
those who differ from the masses.

If a foreigner gives us a bar of soap as a gift, or if we're prevented
from going into a hotel, a fiber of our national pride still vibrates.
However mistreatment by government institutions is assumed to be an
inevitable and natural phenomenon.

We're so used to being stepped on that we often don't even realize it.

The annihilation of pride and personal dignity is a key weapon of
domination in this system and in any other one. The recovery of these
qualities will be a sign that things are actually changing.

In other words: The day you see people at the bakery demanding that
their bread not be handled will be the day you'll be able to say the
syrup is about to turn into candy.

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=80071