I spent my early childhood in the West Indies - Trinidad, to be exact. I've never forgotten the beautiful women and children, the hard-working men (and sometimes whole families) who chopped sugar cane, labored on banana and cocoa plantations, and brought on the oil fields. It was a tough life. But despite hardship and inequities, there was a sense of joy and solidarity that rang loud and clear through Trinidad's vibrant calypso songs and steel bands. "Trinis" had a genius for creating art from things more affluent people throw away. They knew how to make the most of what they had. Christmas was best of all! I remember the carols we sang, the Christmas dishes, the celebration. I remember the abundance of food we raised ourselves: savory goat and chicken, mangos, breadfruits, bananas, papayas, fried rice and plantains. I remember a crèche where Nativity figures were Trinidadian. It seemed right then. It seems right now. Christmas comes in every color of the rainbow. Story on back. |