I have been described by many people in various ways – as a dancer and as a drummer, but I have not been actively involved in either for many years, especially since the passing of my good friend Ignatius Laborde. I am also sometimes remembered as an ‘Ole Mas’ participant in annual carnivals — and in recent time as ‘the Karaoke mister’.
But, truth be told, I would rather be remembered as a person who, over the last two decades, has found reasons to express myself not as a journalist, but as a person with varying opinions.
I dare say that in my opinion, there are many established institutions that limit their output due to conventional values, including the education system, in this day and age when students are still carrying heaps of books on their backs to and from school, even when the technology of the day exists to transfer all their books onto electronic gadgets.
No school sees it fit to establish lockers to reduce that form of modern-day slavery, even though most educational outlets are aware of the after-school nowhere-to-go and nothing-to-do phenomena that create delinquent behavior for some after school students. They know the situation but will not hire extra-curriculum teachers to deal with that problem using the facilities already in place as outlets for such endeavors.
Some schools are headed by churches and they condemn fund- raising within the school structure, but daily, teachers request parents to support school endeavors, thus adding more costs to parents for their children’s support.
Another institution that baffles me is the Department of Culture. They have done little to spread the arts in every district and to be a source of artistic training at the schools and community level, by simply finding the funds to pay tuition fees to obtain the needed help.
As for cultural facilities, it’s always about events at the Cultural Center, but not introducing activities performing outlets island-wide, or having island-wide presentations or competitions on a regular basis with some sort of rewarding benefits, especially monetary.
Most persons secure their jobs, but will never think outside the norm and the many want-to-be’s, have to struggle to keep themselves relevant creatively.
There is another area of concern that I have: many young people are asked to learn a trade, but few will go to a classroom without some sort of financial benefit, so I would recommend an apprenticeship system to attach them to established freelance employment with professionals — and pay them to learn.
We have to understand the state of mind, the lack of opportunity and the attitudes of those who are underprivalaged, to grow a nation in which those who are established help to put systems in place for advancement for the masses.
That is why there will always be the haves and the have-nots and that is the source of jealousy and discontentment.
It is not only the government to set the ball rolling because citizens can play their part as well.
‘Be your brothers keeper’ should be the standard motto of the day.
And lastly, the media houses must do better at training their staff, all we have are DJ material, with no content, no discussion, no out-of-the-box ideas and terrible vocabulary and diction, with very few as inspiring persons.
It’s so sad.