O Pioneers!

The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman.
–Willa Cather in ‘O Pioneers!’

I thought reading Willa Cather’s ‘O Pioneers!’ would make me nostalgic for home, but I am finding that it is actually very germane to living in a young, developing country such as Botswana. While Batswana are not pioneering new geographic territory, they are pioneering a new democracy— writing the history of their country which started in their hearts. Indeed, my experience in Botswana has opened my eyes to the struggles of many African nations and people groups, from South Africans adjusting to post-Apartheid life to the ongoing sagas of politics and corruption that plague many African nations.

Some of the key themes of ‘O Pioneers!’ are shaped by the intense struggles and hardships that the families had to endure in order to survive on the plains of Nebraska. They didn’t have anything handed to them, but rather, they had to work for every success. Sometimes even hard work yielded failure due to conditions that were beyond their control. On several occasions, I have listened to people in Botswana describe the successes and failures of various African nations and people groups. The common theme of these testimonies is that those people groups who have had to struggle the hardest are the ones who continue to work the hardest to achieve success in their various pursuits.

My favorite example of this is the way one of my friends described the consistent narrative that, because of the extreme trials they have faced and overcome, Zimbabweans are exceptionally hard workers. This friend, after lamenting that some other people groups are constantly looking for handouts, Zimbabweans are always ready to ‘make a plan’ to solve a problem, seal a deal and move ahead. That is precisely what helped the pioneers— in every trial they were ready to ‘make a plan’ and see it to fulfillment.

Who would have thought that my 'home girl' (we're both from Nebraska), Willa Cather's work would be so relevant to my life and experiences in Botswana!?!?

On another note, when I spoke with my Grandpa (who lives in Nebraska) this weekend, I mentioned that I was reading ‘O Pioneers!’ He responded that he first read the novel while he was stationed in Guam during WWII. How amazing that two Nebraskans first read this wonderful work when they were as far away from home as they have ever been.