Tuesday, November 19, 2013

THE REAL VALUE OF CURRENCY

Island of Yap in the Pacific Ocean:
lost among other thousands dispersed
in the archipelago of the Micronesia;
nothing is there; well yes, there is the sky,
the jungle, the sea (is full of stingrays)
their livelihood consists in fishing them;
is a brave people of daring navigators
in small canoes made of rushes tied
and they orient according to the stars.

They greatly value their ancient traditions
-we will see its economic importance-
that are transmitted across generations
by shamans whose only mission is
to keep always alive a "sacred flame"
taking care of the myths not to forget
repeating telling to everyone this rare story:

Some centuries ago a yapense chief
decided why not becoming rich?,
but there was nothing there to that effect
-I mean apart from what has been said-
that being so common they did not appreciate.

He was told that on a remote island
called "Truk" distant about two weeks
of sailing threatened with a variety of typhoons,
storms and heavy swell lashing the boats
there were enormous stones scattered throughout
of a material that could be easily carved
("aragonite" in geology is called).

And thus risking their lives on various trips
little by little they brought six thousand rocks
(some of them weighted about a couple tons)
carved them out producing circle shapes
and through the center bored an open hole 
so that by introducing there a stick
could be moved around the enormous mass
about the perimeter, as a gigantic wheel.

The task achieved was worthy of the Titans,
so a big value was rightly attached to it,
and the participants in the great enterprise
were granted a cuantity of stones
proportionate in number and in size
according to the merit, thus gaving them
among their people: status, honors,”wealth"
for it was a good so unusual for them
as gold or silver can represent to us.

They were deposited in the jungle banks
allotted each one to its proud owner,
nobody could move them readily around
-were also used to mark the edge of paths-
and so the jungle became a watched over “bank";
with a big plus: not subject to inflation;
as nobody can easily a large stone create
out of the blue as in "bank-money" occurs:
“he who wants fish then risk the bottom wet”;
go and repeat the ancestors so brave feat.

Gradually, over the span of time
such a wealth in the hands of a few
was being distributed: if one married a daughter
that means to give as dowry a large stone,
and with medium one to acquire a hut
paying the "architect" with any there small ...

Now everyone to some extent has some
from the six thousand of the jungle bank;
to give a relative idea in order to compare,
the chief tycoon has twenty of varying size,
what makes him see the future in cheerful mood
if he does not by the way the island quit...

as there is where is solely recognized
that kind of money (otherwise behemoths)
based on a maintained reputation
renewed by shamans conveying the story
of the heroic deeds of the ancient folks
who crossed the sea venturing into the unknown
and thus endowed matter of economic value
morally-based as they risked their lives-
the massive stones are then transformed in totems-
coated of myth and culture that is allways refreshed
as ”yapense values” in all the possible meanings of the term.

I almost forgot: the stones are worth so much
that are not useful to be handled in dealings,
let us say to buy a fish (even when it is a stingray)
nor the firewood for the bonfire to cook;
such trifles are at a different scale
of value in a mind & matter sense
(if the economic from personal derives).

Required for carrying out such tasks
is something that can be used in change
that is lightweight and not a heavy block
fractionable, portable and "cheap";
for such petty details they use the dollars
“scraps of paper" that "Uncle Sam" supports,
but their precious "pietro-dollars" never touch.





© albertotrocóniz / 13
Text from: “AS I SEE IT”
Image: "Yapensa Pensierosa about the Money"
Image from: "PHOTOFILTERED"




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