Meliorism?

A recent Facebook post by a friend introduced me to the word meliorism. It’s defined as the belief that the world can be made better by human effort. She was feeling very discourage and, given recent events, was understandably no longer convinced this was true.

Nonetheless, I prefer to remain optimistic. Perhaps foolishly so, but the alternative is too depressing to contemplate. One thing that helps me is travel memories, whether impressive edifices, cultural traditions that have survived for centuries, or simply human kindness in the face of challenges.

One such experience was attending a Carnival parade in Montevideo, Uruguay. Like similar parades in New Orleans, it is a centuries-old tradition of celebration leading up to Lent, with costumes, music, dancing and parties. One unique feature in Uruguay was the deep, mysterious beat of candombe drums, an African influence from slavery days that added to the sense of magic.

Most memorable of all was the welcoming, festive feeling that night. The two of us were clearly out-of-place tourists, but nobody batted an eye as we joined in with clapping or took photos. Small children ran into the middle of the parade to greet dancers with impossibly high headdresses and heels, who twirled them around before sending them back to their parents. Grills appeared alongside the marchers, sending tantalizing scents in the crowd. Costumed characters were booed and cheered by attendees, while balloons, banners and skirts swirled. I tried to capture that energy in this painting, to remember how joyous life can be when people are inclusive and celebrate together.