Believe me, today I intended to indulge in pure, sweet justified escapism. To explore briefly this matter of “love” and those who love. Or think that they do.
Alas, the opposite of love and affection countrywide, has forced me to compromise and include some necessary negatives, as well. But I know, for sure, that quite a number of persons who have approached me for Wordsworth MacAndrew’s “List of Love” will welcome my lead topic today.
Look. I’m not one to dwell on Special Days, these days. Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Press Freedom Day, International Women’s Day or Valentine’s Day. Why? Because the sentiments, actions and behaviours relevant to those singular observances should be an everyday norm. Okay however, today I succumb. I am recoginising the, as usual, much commercialised Valentine’s Day which the Western European World has foisted upon us as February 14, next Tuesday. Why? Because, in the context of the relative brutality and savagery being displayed by those described as “men” in Guyana these days, we do need love. Whether of the romantic variety, the bond between child and parent, the emotional attachment embedded in just true lasting friendships, younger Guyanese today really do need some level or element of that emotion named love. Quite apart from divine love.
(Sad to report, but frankly speaking I observe dogs, fowls, cows all behaving more lovingly than some of our modern–day “humans.”)
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Love? Strong feeling–or sickness?
Look, I’ll skip my research via dictionaries, books, novels, psycho–analyses – and Wikipedia into this phenonomenon described as love.
Never–the–less, I risk this simple, simplified definition: “the emotion and demonstration of strong affection and attachment toward the happiness and mutual satisfaction of partners.” Yes I coined and paraphrased that from scores of existing meanings because the point is always made that “cultural differences in conceptualising love makes it difficult to arrive at one universal meaning.”
Love is difficult to pin down! Rage, hate, spite, jealousy are all easier to understand, believe it or not. God’s love, mother’s love, passion, romance, biology and sex all make love so varied and emotional, you know it when you feel it. With your body, mind and soul!
Typee, Toteeloteepo, Typhosius Rikkitiks!
Strange nuh? But I’m bypassing all the Greeks, all the confusion of Roman Catholic Saints, to bow to one, the elusive, multi – person Valentine. You all do that research whilst I present Wordsworth MacAndrew’s list of strong love – feelings.
Okay, many of us over fifty have encountered the first stage “typee”, in word or feeling. That’s “a strong love–sickness, uncontrollable devotion for and to another.” Strange too these stages seem to affect men! Is it their sometimes caring nature? Or their egos? And strange again, you don’t always know when you are subject to Typee and its stronger forms.
Some say the word came from Hindi; most don’t know. Some say the silly, possessed behaviour has to do with potions or “high science.” But long ago men did strange things under typee’s spell. Here are just 12 stages of (Folk) love, out of 40: Typee, Chiranghi, Toteelotteepo, Tabanga Logicoma, Frangilangi Pang, Deedeetis, Typhosius–Rikkitiks, Soojee–Moojee, Gooroop, Gehgeh and Eza–poot a lingoof.
Beautiful, silly Creolese to describe stages of strong, unexplainable love. Which one means “e washing she fine clothes”? And which one means “she watchmaning he”?
Happy Valentine’s Day Tuesday.
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From male brutality to other M’s
The flip side of the foregoing musings on “love” is a now sordid saga of the abuse of Guyanese womanhood, whereby our females are being brutalised by so–called men.
Lord read it: woman dies from botched abortion; doctor allegedly assaults patient sexually; teens raped; child molested; wife murdered; girls trafficked into the hinterland to be sex workers – the list goes on.
I know how familiar these abuses are to you readers. I guess too, that the more responsible amongst you would conclude that these atrocities are a mirror of the lack of education and moral values, the sum total of the breakdown of family life and the respect for females – earned by the latter, or not.
Other causes, to me, is that community good neighbourliness is vanishing, parenthood is becoming younger and more immature with each generation; along with the economic conditions which force both young males and females to stoop to the unthinkable.
But what is to be done? I’ll enumerate my remedies next time – from my extreme ideas for both prevention and punishment to the role of schools.
Meanwhile ask yourself: How well are the penalties in our much–touted sexual offences act utilised?
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Manifestoes and Mashramani – again
I’m going to spare folks my “Manifesto Series” today because I want them to concentrate on today’s goings on at the Ceremonial Opening of Guyana’s Tenth Parliament. So I’ll merely invite you, the then “electorate”, to refer to the three main manifestoes to find out what the three main Parties promised us all with regards to care of the elderly.
And with respect to today’s “Message For Mashramani”, I appeal to Insurance companies, import- export companies, airlines, hotels and auto dealership to join the Regent, Robb and Water Street stores to participate in this year’s festival. There must be good reason for your being indifferent in the past. But please call the Minister of Culture or the Secretariat at 226-4764 to find out about opportunities.
(Remember Region Six, Mashramani began in Region Ten (10)).
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Until…
Today I miss the opening of Parliament for an assignment to speak to young people on the West Coast of Berbice.
Y’all tell me that my President ventured out of his “box” and inspired fresh approaches to governance, okay?
“Lower” animals would most likely object to the behaviour of some males towards women, being described as “animalistic”.
Mashramani 2012 events accelerate over this week-end. Attend!
Til next week!
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