Man Dress

I have mentioned that American Samoa could have been the Garden of Eden.  That the abundance of food sources makes it unnecessary for people to sow a garden, then reap what they have sown.  Rather, the garden here sows itself, the people need merely reap.  The Bible makes much of sowing seed and reaping the harvest (see, e.g., the verse quoted below).  The Bible also references seasons.  Here there are no such seasons.  There is a wet season and then there is the less wet season.  

Leviticus 25:3 “And thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof.

There are, of course, several other verses that make reference to sowing and reaping.  Other than the metaphor of harvesting the fruits of your labor, e.g., poor choices yield poor consequences, at least as a reference for food, those Bible verses are irrelevant to Samoa.  A homeless person here need not go hungry.  They don’t have to sow.  Merely reap.  Hungry?  Just pick yourself a banana, papaya, mango coconut, orange…

What impresses me so much about this culture as I find on a daily basis, is their pure kindness.  In her book, Coming of Age in Samoa, Margaret Mead observed that human kindness is the virtue most esteemed by Samoans.  Little children shyly wave to me and smile, and might sometimes even engage me in conversation.  Strangers look at me with a smile, kindness in their eyes, and a greeting of “Hello,” which I take as an invitation to stick out my hand and say, “Hi.  I’m Joel Shiver.”  I could cite many examples of pleasant interchanges that have resulted from these meetings, but here’s the story of one in particular.

I don’t have a car, and since one of the other two lawyers from my office who reside in the same complex has a car, I catch a ride to work.  On the way, we pass a store, Forsgrens, which is something of a department store, maybe comparable to a Walmart, except on a much, much tinier scale.  In any event, it is a nice resource in this second world country.  Moreover, there is an entrepreneurial private bus system, with many, many buses, which facilitate cheap, quick and easy transportation all around this small island of barely 76 square miles.

So, today I asked my co-worker to drop me off at Forsgrens so I could buy some supplies:  coffee for the office, a coffee cup for myself, some memo pads…. then I could have the adventure of taking the bus from there to the office.  A dollar fare is cheap enough to pay for that.  I get done with my shopping, and walk to find the bus stop.  It’s raining, as it is often apt to be on this tropical island.  Forsgrens is located in what could be described as a mini-mall, with covered walkways surrounding it.  So, I stop at the end of the porch to scout out the bus stop, and this beautiful woman says to me with a warm and gracious smile, “Hello.”  I stick out my hand and introduce myself.  Her name is Tonya and we fill one another in on who we are, where we’re from, our spouses, etc.  When I told her what I do, she inquired as to whether I’d acquired my lavalavas.

A lavalava is a man-skirt.  And an ie lavalava (EE-AA-lavalava) is a formal man-skirt for wearing as professional attire.   Tonya’s husband works to the American Samoan tax office so she is familiar with professional attire.  I could wear a coat and tie to court, but the true Samoan way is an ie lavlava, dress shirt and a tie . . . and flip flops.  Seriously.   I had been previously informed of the ie lavalava, so I had only brought one pair of dress slacks and one dress shirt with me.   I needed a wardrobe of ie lavalavas for court.  I explained to her that my plan was to have Junior, our office investigator, take me to a seamstress for my measurements then buy the material for her to make me some ie lavalavas.

Tonya suggested I simply go to Forsgrens, as they carry lavalavas, and it would cost less.  It was raining, and I figured the rain would end soon, so I thought about it a couple of seconds.  I turned and went back to Forsgrens.  As large as I am I am considered a medium amongst American Samoan men, so I had no trouble finding one that fit.   I bought two, and wore the first one I tried on to work.  The people at work were very pleased that I am adopting Samoan customs so quickly.  I am pleased that they are pleased.  Anyhow, it was the result of that most congenial encounter with Tonya that resulted in this most positive experience.

My theory is that the Lord has amply provided for the food and shelter of the people of American Samoa.  Freed from the burden of sowing, they turn their energy elsewhere, like to positive interpersonal relationships.  It’s a joy.  Samoa is practically 100% Christian, and I am interested in learning how the virtue of human kindness informs their Christian faith.   Wouldn’t it be nice if foxnewschristians allowed the virtue of human kindness to inform their Christian faith?  I’ll leave you with one final verse.  Luke 12:27 “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Next:  My Birthday.