find the rhythm of the earth

“The world sends us garbage. We send back music.”
-Favio Chavez

One billion tons of garbage. This is how much garbage is generated every year worldwide. We live in a disposable society; we consume excessively and waste unnecessarily. But as long as we dispose of it properly, there should be no issues right? Out of sight, out of mind.

When my garbage is full, I tie the bag shut, place it in the alley and wait for it to magically disappear. Most days, I don’t even see it go. I just assume that whoever comes every week, will return once more and deal with my unwanted items.

All this waste has to go somewhere, right? But what if that somewhere is your home, like it is for so many people around the world? How would you find inspiration and beauty in your surroundings? How would you connect to the land to which you call home?

I know that I take for granted the natural beauty that can be found in my home. The open green spaces, the abundance of wildlife, pristine rivers, even the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. If this was all destroyed and covered with the garbage that I personally generate in a year, how would I connect?

This is reality for so many people, including those who call Catuera, Paraguay home. This is their reality, yet they have chosen to find beauty in their surroundings and transform it through music and resourcefulness:

If a community that faces such adversity is able to come together and transform the lives of its youth, we must surely be able to do the same. Find the rhythm of the earth that surrounds you, immerse yourself in it, and share it with the world.