I am here! Here in the beautiful, great, green land of Guyana. Land of the floating bridges; land of the Jaguar, the Canje Pheasant and the Victoria Regia; the Mighty Essequibo, the towering Roraima and the vast Rupununi; the golden brown Atlantic Ocean and the colourful people. This is the land of my birth, land of my ancestors, land of pride and land of my soul.
I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.
I am proud! Proud of my people – the Guyanese race, I am proud of my skin – our skin. I am proud of my language: ‘de way I taalk’ – Guyanese-Creole.
I pay homage today, the day my ancestors had enough! 250 years ago, on this day they took a deep breath, burst out their doors, ran through the plantations and fought for their freedom – they declared themselves free, just for a while… they tasted freedom. The 1763 Rebellion, like the Guyanese people, is immortal.
I can’t be proud of anything else right now.
I am excited! Excited for this celebration, Mashramani – a celebration after hard work. It’s hard work building a nation, a job that never ends. Today I celebrate 43 years from the day my country’s name transformed from plain old ‘Guyana’ to the ‘Co-operative Republic of Guyana.’ Co-operative – togetherness, helpful, willing, accommodating, collaborative, united. Republic – truly independent, a democracy, we the people, a nation, a sovereign state, our own.
I can’t be excited about anything else right now.
I am joyful! Joyful for the work we have done; the things we are blessed with, the efforts of our souls, the strength of our backs and the passion in our hearts. No one here dies of hunger, or thirst; we don’t freeze to death nor does the earth dry out. We are Caribbean, cheerful and welcoming by heart – We are Amazonian, strong and adaptable by essence. The only lapses we have are manmade, and man by all means is flawed.
I can’t be joyful about anything else right now.
I am celebrating! Celebrating such a day of significance – a day of rebellion and freedom, a day of true independence and nationalism, a day of celebration and praise for everything we have accomplished thus far. We will head out to the streets with the Golden Arrowhead; five colours with five meanings, a flag so colourful and pure, so beautiful and yet ferocious. We will head out to the streets not to party, but to celebrate a pure nation and the heart of its people – on this day our hearts shall beat as one.
I can’t celebrate anything else right now.
I am… a celebrant. I am… joyful. I am… excited. I am… proud, I am… here! Here in the beautiful, great, green land of Guyana. (Jairo Rodrigues)
