In with the new!

It could be fair to say that 2008 was a somewhat good year taking into account that we didn’t break any bones or end up in hospital or in jail, though we have had a few brushes with the law; encountered some people we hope never to see again and had to deal with a flood.

Regrettably, sections of this country are under inches, and in some cases feet, of water that is really foul-smelling and people have to put up with it. Can this life be fair? A new year has broken with water still on the land and in some homes painting a dismal picture of things to come.

A home stash of sandbags is the kind of accessory we are hoping we will not need in 2009. So what if it rains? Let it! The rain is not the enemy as some would have us believe, the rain is a beautiful blessing from above, ask anyone (practically everyone in Guyana) who has limited access to a clean, regular supply of water and they will tell you. The enemy is poor drainage and as far as we are concerned it can remain a sad truth of 2008 and be permanently removed from our lives and the lives of the people of this country this year. But so much for the flooding.

Of all the years to fall out with the police it had to be 2008. It was not really us, but we were tied to it considering that we were in the vehicle when they stopped it and launched a harassment campaign like never before seen; that happened four times last year. The force has so many hard…well let us not get into that here and simply make the point that essential people skills is what is lacking among those goodly men and women who serve and protect us.

Come on, newly confirmed Commish, impress upon your men and women that interacting with the public is not as difficult as they assume, and that interfacing is a critical part of what they do! We certainly are looking forward to having a better year with the police and no more painful run-ins.

There is a saying, which we like, that goes “Manners maketh…” you must know it, but as it turns out some people in this country never heard of it. There is an endless list of people who lack good manners; thankfully we have only met a few of them. There are in sales, they are conducting minibuses, they are educating our children, they are raising children, basically they are everywhere.

People step on your toes and then turn and glare at you like you did something wrong. Like that woman we met one day at a city store. She was considerably big, physically, and was walking around like every bit of space belonged to her and we are just borrowing the ones we are using. She steps on our toes, looks around for an apology, gets none and then starts to use foul language.

Then there was that minibus conductor working the hospital route who smelled like a case of Banks Premium but insisted on shouting in our face after we objected to the beer bottle in his hand. While we are on the subject, there is a host of minibus conductors with issues, and by this we mean that they are disrespectful, unfeeling alcoholics who are downright disgraceful.

We could go on but you get the picture. It is a new year and we want to abandon those old, unpleasant experiences and think only good thoughts. As we reflect on the ills of last year we are also thinking of things to come this year and have resolved to do three things: be happy, work harder and live a little.

(thescene@stabroeknews.com)