independence

Happy 48th birthday to my homeland; the natives called it Iere or Kairi- the land of the Hummingbird; Columbus christened it La Trinidad, the Trinity, because of the southern range's triple peaks that reminded him of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit....we have been fought over, changing hands numerous times between Spanish, French and British conquerors, each one of them leaving behind their legacy of domination in our names, our place-names, and our very culture; we were home to slaves from Africa, indenture-rs from India, and settlers from far and wide, including Syria, China, Portugal and Venezuela, all of whose descendants now live and work together under a common culture which is in itself a kaleidoscope of its myriad of contributors...a true pelau or calalloo....twin islands, one a hub for business, industry and modernity, and cut above the rest in the region...the other, a veritable unspoiled paradise, rich with landmarks, serene beaches and true small island relaxation...Crusoe's isle....we broke away from British rule in 1962, and have fought many battles, internally and externally, since then, and have now found ourselves on the brink of foundation-rocking change, positive, negative, both..in a time when the very fabric of world society in itself is galloping ahead at ten times the speed of light...

my dad used to tell me that in the 70s, people used to go out and leave doors and windows open, and return to find everything intact and untouched. everyone knew everyone and looked out for one another; now, no amount of burglar-proofing and home security seems to be able to stop the bandits from raping and pillaging, and robbing us dry; now we have to watch everyone cut-eye, because you never know when even your closest friends might stab you in your back....

in the 1980s, Time magazine, on 3 separate occasions, rated Trinidad as the country with the safest roads and the most courteous drivers IN THE WORLD...now, hundreds die on the roads, victims of their need for speed, their lust for alcohol, or just the lack of regard for human life by other drivers with seemingly incurable road-rage....

as diverse as our backgrounds are, they have all intersected, and we all now share a common land, a common culture, common strengths and weaknesses...we sweat the same sweat, bleed the same blood and and breathe the same crisp island breeze...yet many of us still worry about "race", religion, social class...

after 48 years, we have learned much, but it seems we have learned not nearly enough, and we find ourselves, fresh into a new millennium, one which sees mankind hurtling towards the unknown and boldly going where we had never ever dreamed of going before...we are prospering like never before, but we are paying heavy prices with crime and poor infrastructure..and our largely un-diversified economy is prone to dry up if and when the oil and gas run out from below our hallowed land...

my fellow Trinbagonians, i implore us all to reflect on our lives and our country, and let us truly strive for every INDIVIDUAL FACE to find and equal place, and may God/ Allah/ Bramha/ Buddha/ Jehovah/ Yahweh/ Jah bless our nation...may we together find the wisdom, the will, and the way to bring us through another 48 years, and many, many more...HAPPY INDEPENDENCE T&T...