Can You Spare a Minute of your Time?

Writing in the local paper. Local issues with a global take. I never translate literally and the editor trims at will to make it fit. Here’s my version, then theirs.

I
spent some time in Libya before the fall of the Ghadaffi regime.
Among the many almost surreal aspects of the Green Republic, one of
the things that most called my attention was the complete lack of
advertising in public spaces. Apart from North Korea, I think it was
one of the only places on earth where you could walk the streets and
not be constantly reminded of the fun that Coca Cola can bring to
your life. Apart from the dictator’s face ubiquitously staring out
from billboards, no one was allowed to try and sell you things from silently shouting billboards as you
walked down the street. The refreshing absence of this near constant
yet silent commercial noise made me realize the unconscious effort
that one makes every day to filter out the messages of 20% off this
and 40% that as you move from point A to point B in just about any
city in the world. Caceres is no different. But what I have noticed
is that, like some terrible late-night science fiction horror movie,
the once immobile signs have come to life. Walking up the pedestrian street from the Gran
Teatro to the Plaza Mayor has become an exercise in dodging moving
ads. Whether you are absorbed in conversation with a friend, fiddling
with your phone or making sure your toddler doesn’t get trampled by
the oncoming crowds, it doesn’t matter. Suddenly a smiling face blocks your
way and is politely demanding just a few minutes of your time to sell
you on the merits of their NGO, above of course the four others that
await to pounce on you before reaching your destination. Driving rain or searing shine, they’re ready for you. I have
observed first-hand the great work that the Red Cross does and have
also seen Chechen women being resettled in Azerbaijan with the help
of the UNHCR but at the risk of endearing themselves to people as
much as the telephone sales person who calls at seven in the morning
on a Sunday, wouldn’t it be wiser to spend the time and energy lobbying for a change in the
distribution of the 0.7% income-tax-pie from the government, than harass
people trying to get where they are going in the streets?