Lessons from Cuba

I write this week after returning from my trip to Cuba, a place of extreme difficulties and with many serious challenges. However, I have discovered that if you look closely at any situation there is always something to learn.  Because of the shortage of foreign exchange earnings, due in part to the ongoing blockade, and also due to the communist ideology, the Cuban people have learned to ‘recycle’ items in order to keep other things working.

The first thing that you notice in Cuba is the number of old cars, many over 50 years old but which have been kept going through the use of parts and objects of all sorts.  If the part doesn’t exist then you make a new one from whatever you have.
Other things such as plastic bottles and bags are not thrown away but are used over and over and passed on from one person to another i.e. one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. If something gets a hole you patch it, if it breaks you repair it, even the peelings from vegetables and any uneaten fruit or food become a meal for pigs.

The government of Cuba has provided energy efficient bulbs for every single household in order to reduce dependence on foreign oil.  In addition many high energy usage devices for example; air conditioners, microwaves, broiler ovens, etc, are not permitted to be brought into Cuba. There is a bus system that moves significant numbers of persons and a train system in operation.

Now I am not in any way advocating the benefits of communism but the benefits of self reliance and being satisfied with what we have.  We have for too long tried to follow the western ideas of being a throw away culture.  In these difficult times perhaps it is time to try a new way.

Feedback question:  Do we live beyond our means?