The Rotten Avocados
It was a surprisingly sunny day, the rays of sun brought warmth, yet the air was refreshingly cold.
Frankly speaking, I would be lying if I told you I specifically remember the weather that day, so in order to avoid emphasizing details about the weather, and in that way attracting attention to the story, I’ll just honestly say, it was daylight and December, the year — 2020.
Being the responsible housekeeper that I am, I decided to use the much awaited break in the workday to go to the market near my building and purchase some fruits and veggies. I went to the counter owned by the three Albanian brothers. Love these guys, always positive, asking you about your day. The shopping there is like visiting a not so close yet dear friend, that brings you joy.
I opened my phone and started checking all the items in my list. Yes, I made a list, the level of housekeeping is… I’ll let you judge it.
Right before paying, I noticed the avocados and remembered that the guacamole I made last time, using the avocados from this place was delicious. Also very briefly, I thought, how crazy it is that this green produce, planted on a different continent somehow got its way to the market near my building. I reacted on impulse and bought two, even though they weren’t prime yet. I said to myself, I’ll leave them for a couple of days in the basket at home and then they’ll be perfect. Paid the cheerful brother and went back home.
Nothing spectacular happened then, life continued with its routines, stress, worries. Every now and then I would pass the fruit basket in my living room and glance at the two avocados. They are not prime yet I would think, let’s give them a couple of more days and then I’ll make the guacamole, put it on a toasted bread with some fried eggs, it’s gonna be a hell of a breakfast.
Nothing spectacular happened then again. Life continued. Several days passed, and every day the pieces did not fall into place for the guacamole to be made. Until one morning when I took a lemon from the fruit basket to squeeze a lemonade, I noticed the avocados had gotten rotten. You know when they are black but nothing good is left on the inside as well. Damn it, I thought, I’ll have to throw them away. So much for that tasty guacamole. I blamed myself for being irresponsible and a procrastinator, I threw the avocados and went on with my day.
Fast forward to 30th of December. Me and Natasha came to Mavrovo to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the closest people we had this year, each other.
After dinner we sat in the living room and did this thing where I am sitting and contemplating, sometimes opening the phone for mindless scrolling, while Natasha is incessantly browsing the Internet, jumping from topic to topic and always sharing some interesting fact she will stumble upon. It’s quite a thrill.
Then out of nowhere she states…
Matej, the avocados will cause large earthquakes, did you know?
Firstly, WOW, what a logical and obvious statement, and secondly, NO, I had no idea. But do tell.
She went on to tell me that apparently so much water is pumped from underground for the avocado farms in Mexico that it’s creating some caverns that could lead to many many earthquakes. This is the video explaining all of this in less than 2 minutes.
I went on to read briefly about the production of avocados, this is the summary of the situation in Mexico:
- it’s the largest producer of avocados, 50 percent of the global avocado crop comes from Michoacan state.
- 196.000 football fields are avocado farms, requiring 3.800 olympic swimming pools of water PER DAY. This is what creates those caverns that might cause the earth to quake.
- it’s a lucrative business, so much so that freaking cartels are fighting over ownership of the farms
I don’t know why, but this got me thinking, life did not just continue…
Firstly, the level of self-blame for letting the two avocados rot increased tenfold. Knowing now what goes into the production of those avocados and having them be available in such large quantities, made the act of me simply throwing them away, a much bigger sin.
Secondly, I wondered, do we really need that many avocados? I mean, how did the world look like 20 years ago when they weren’t that popular? I believe we were just fine…
I need to warn you here, I am starting to get a little bit philosophical…
I started thinking about how we are actually running the world. The free-market right, that miracle of a system that allows people the freedom to innovate and offer services, while at the same time it self-regulates and ensures best, most innovative products are produced and sold to the customers. So called “bad actors” will naturally be extinct because customers will recognize their malice and simply won’t buy their products. It’s a perfect system and it has allowed us incredible growth, innovation and progress.
Although it seems this comes with a price…
When do these “bad actors” actually get extinct? And is the damage already done when they do? How does our (in)humane desire for more affect this perfect system?
Let’s get back to the avocados…
To me, that story goes something like this…
I
Stuff happened, and someone recognized this is a delicious, nutritious fruit. So they decided to produce it and start selling it.
Everything is ok, normal quantities are being produced and sold, normal profits are made and live goes on. The impact at this point is minimal.
II
Then, demand starts really increasing.
Now, this is where it gets interesting. Once it gets noticeable, the free-market machinery with its growth ideals kicks in. More and more people want to jump on board in the production of the “green gold” as they like to call it, because it is a lucrative business. All of a sudden — forests are burned, to create space for new farms. Forests that are home to a wildlife that simply disappears. I imagine a lot of politicians are bribed, so that permissions are granted for this to continue, because hey, a lot of money is gained for the business owners, the country, which in effect means jobs are created for the people of Mexico. So let’s keep on expanding. More, more!
At this point, everything is far from OK. Did you remember the numbers? 3.800 Olympic swimming pools of water PER DAY! Nature’s balance destroyed, wildlife gone!
III
At this point, it’s harder to stop. The avocado story is too big now. Once “big players” (= bad actors) jump on board, the playing field changes. The price of stopping is much higher. Mistakes are punished. Excuses are invented even. The (so) obviously insane over-production is justified. Many red lines are crossed, alerts are ignored.
Big players fear losing all of their investments and then they spread this fear to everyone else involved. I assume threats are politely shared, “needed” measures are taken, sometimes lethal ones, just so the wheels can keep spinning and spinning. The insatiable desire for more to be pleased, and our investments to pay off. What a frivolous endeavor.
Thoughts overwhelm me, I want to blame those irresponsible people letting all of this to continue.
But then, do they have a choice? Do they know any different, better? Or are they in too deep, seduced by profits possessed by the desire for more?
Who initiates the change and brings sanity? On what level does the change start? Who says, let’s stop with this egoic madness of ever expanding?
Is it the big players, those bad actors? They can’t help themselves, they fear losing their investment.
Is it an employee? They fear as well, they have even more to lose. Perhaps their job is keeping their family alive.
How about the consumers, the “regulators” in the free-market philosophy? Well, we are a bit negligent, it’s harder to bother, read and try to buy less. Couple this with the geniuses in the marketing department that play with our heads just so we keep buying more. Once we show a glimpse of interest, desire for something, it immediately gets shoved down our throats. Buy it, and one more.
The result, over-consumption which inspires over-production. The wheels keep spinning, pockets are filling, it’s a magical circle.
Meanwhile, environmental havoc, bribery, corruption, egoic madness!
Begs that question again, who initiates the change and brings sanity?
It’s probably not a single person who needs to initiate the change. It seems more like a monumental shift in all of us that needs to happen.
I wonder, is it possible that we slow down? On every level, production & consumption… Can we reinvent the standards of what is enough? What if we shift the mode of thinking to sustainability versus endless, uncontrollable and perhaps unnecessary growth?
What if each and every one shifts his/her way of thinking to a more moderate and mindful state of existence? Is it possible to change the way corporations, governments, the world itself functions one individual at a time?
I’ve been reading two books lately, that really affected my thinking on this…
The first one is called It doesn’t have to be crazy at work, from these two fellas who run a software company called Basecamp. They are sort of rebels, challenging the status quo by outlining a different, more calm way to run a business. They are very intentional about how they run their company. Ever expanding growth and profits is not why they exist, rather a sustainable flow focused on the pleasures of doing the work they love. You know that moment of intense focus, distraction-less fulfillment of having something you are excited about in front of you, and you are so immersed that it seems as if nothing else exists, you are just there, working, Being.
In 2018, after a record breaking year in terms of profit, they decided to halt the expansion of their workforce, understanding perhaps that the current way of functioning is enough and most sustainable. In other words, they don’t have to conquer the world. Here is a post about their way of thinking at the time.
The second is called A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. This one is more spiritual, giving a different definition of who we are and therefore what is important and essential. Tolle speaks of this idea that what lies within us then manifests and shapes our outer reality. In a more global context, if a shift in consciousness happens to all of us, we recognize our true nature and we become more present, more mindful, the Earth that we will manifest from that internal state would be much different and probably more sustainable.
So where do the rotten avocado, philosophy of the free market and these two books converge? I guess in the new year resolution that inevitably comes to mind in this period.
I wish for us to have as many flow moments as possible, both at work and in our private endeavors. I wish we are fully immersed, present in every moment, wishing less for what comes next, trying less to frivolously change what was, rather experience the now.
It is my hope this will make us calmer, more mindful and allow us to do things more intelligently rather than reactively. In other words, doing something for the sake of doing it, rather than a more egoistic goal of proving something to someone. Maybe we start appreciating the people on the counter at the market, each other amidst a pandemic, and worry less, fear less…
It is my hope this will make us happier! And from that inner state of calmness, happiness, I hope we change the world and we leave no avocado to rot!
Happy New 2021 everyone!
