 |
| Dancers at a Festival Grand Gala celebration |
I will listen to no ‘grinches’ today, those cynics
trying to steal my joy in Emancipation and Independence. We keep talking ourselves into this ditch of
despair, instead of raising our voices in thanks for our many blessings. If you think we are badly off, please check
the international newscasts, where countries are at war and an airplane of
ordinary passengers with everyday plans is shot out of the sky.
If you think Jamaica is badly off, think of those
countries where democracy is still a shaky experiment, while our system has
become so well run that the Carter Centre has said there is no need for them to
monitor Jamaica’s elections. Read our papers, listen to broadcast media and
check the comments on social media – we are in the top ten for press freedom in
the world.
Oh yes, we have tons of issues, and a drought to
boot, but still much for which to be thankful.
The bougainvillea is preening itself in the hot weather and mango trees
seem to have drawn extra sweetness out of this dry earth.
Thank goodness for resourceful Jamaicans, like that
savvy taxi man who visits the spring at the back of the Constant Spring Golf
Course almost every day. This spring
gives the area its name – several folks go there to fill large water bottles or
give their cars a wash. The foliage
around the spring is dark green and yes, its waters are constant.
 |
| Mama Joy Baker (R) receiving the CCRP Jamaica 50 Living Legacy Award from CCRP Chair Prof Denise Eldemire Shearer and former Vice Chair Aloun Assamba |
Such is the constancy and resilience of our generous
and dignified Jamaicans, rich and poor who continue to be the strength of their
communities. It was National Hero Norman
Manley who said that Jamaica’s poor is surviving on the generosity of the
poor. I will never forget the tears of
young Jermaine from Torrington Park as he wept at the funeral of our pensioner
Miss Icilda Riley, who had been blind for several years. His mother explained that in the yard where
they lived, ‘Miss Icy’ as we called her, would watch and counsel the children,
especially young Jermaine.
We remember ‘Mama Joy’ Baker from Downtown Kingston
who scrubbed the floors of bars to pay for the education of generations of
inner city children, and opened over 300 saving accounts for them as she taught
them the importance of thrift.
Those of us who live more comfortable lives should
be in awe of these good people who can still find love in their hearts, despite
their marginal conditions. How will we
help them to achieve full emancipation and independence? Be assured, they are not looking for
charity. They are willing to work, and
will take the humblest jobs in order to get their children through school.
No comments:
Post a Comment