Letters & Opinion

We should look beyond our noses to see what we have that others wish for

Carlton Ishmael
By Carlton Ishmael

As I watch the calamity caused in Turkey by the most recent Earthquake, assess the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the many lives already lost and will be lost, I reckon we still have it good in St. Lucia.

The situation that most South American and African refugees face in trying to get a better life is still appalling. The crisis in Haiti, the wars in the Middle East, the economic embargo on Venezuela and Cuba and the famine in Africa are all appalling too. So, why do we continue to complain and try to destroy each other — and our country?

There is much we should be thankful for, but all you hear is “The Government is not doing this” or “Dem fellas not doing dat” for us, and the “Government letting the price of goods and service escalate without lifting a finger.” Many still blame the Government for them not getting gainful employment, but not accepting that it is through their own fault some are deemed unemployable.

Many prefer to see no other option than to sit on the block, spend precious time lazing about doing nothing, yet expect manna and money to fall into their hands and mouths, straight from Heaven. The little some have is spent in the rum shops, sex is the thrill of the day, and nobody wants to plant the corn, but everybody wants to reap it and raid the barn.

Many of us contribute to nothing and support nothing, but will kill for spite, and still feel that others are responsible for our predicament, and never accept, even for a moment, that through God’s grace, things are still good in Sweet Saint Lucia.

After all, so few are starving, almost everybody has a sheltered home, nobody is naked, we have no adverse weather conditions (these days), the land is still fertile, and the working population is still youthful.

But we still bitch-out, day-in and day-out about how bad things are, not paying attention to what is happening in the rest of the world.

We suffer from ingratitude and we curse the darkness rather than light a candle. We see good in nothing, and do not thank the Lord for small mercies.

My question is: Why and where and when did we inherit this new attitude? Does the world owe us anything? Or is it not US who must be responsible for our own destiny? Who do we really expect to help us when we choose not to help ourselves?

Who is responsible for this widespread attitude? Do we really think we should be given special privileges? Are we not blessed enough? Is our objective only riches? Isn’t Life enough? Must we destroy all we have to prove a point? Or to point fingers?

I am totally baffled by this attitude of discontentment because there is so much that we should be thankful for, yet we only see our noses and nothing beyond.

If this attitude continues, one of these good days we will truly see how good the Lord has been to us. But dissatisfaction seems to be the order of the day and we are not being real nor truthful to ourselves.

Instead, we are just selfish people with little faith and no objectivity.

Awah for us!

If we don’t change our mindset and mentality, we will soon start saying Goodbye to Saint Lucia, which is still very sweet when compared to Ukraine and other places where life and death live side by side.

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