I tire truly of the world’s and Guyana’s sordid goings-on. These days I often wonder whether I could have been a media reporter required to write those daily new-stories of tragedy and misery – murder, other crimes, assaults, arson, accidents, corruption, etcetera. No wonder some reporters, like policemen, doctors or lawyers, become insensitive to crime and death. They report the facts subjectively.
Poor me I would have wanted to report the context, the human interest results and implications. So since a few days of August (2014) are left, I “escape” with the memories and “character” of August childhoods past.
Try to imagine if persons between fourteen and forty these days could themselves imagine a society without television, computers, video-games, internet, smart-phones – and yes lots of daily crime and road fatalities. I challenge their intellect often. My modern young friends are often given to becoming incredulous, filled with humorous disbelief and finding it difficult to cope with such a world of, to them, primitive existence.
But that’s how it was in my childhood Guyana of the fifties, sixties, early seventies. The “outside world” boasted black-and-white television and a few satellites then. Modern information and communication technology was ages away for us then. Even the latest overseas music and songs took time to get here, as we made do with our cinemas, film-shows, radio and very old telephone and telegraph systems.
But my generation survived – poor, strong healthy, better morals, with a stronger sense of community and responsibility. (One murder or traffic accident had our parents talking, whispering in awe and hurt concern for days!). How we, the poorer boys and girls, looked forward to the long August holidays – away from the old school benches and desks – exclusively wooden. (Remember “fountain” pens and long stem pens and long stem pens using ink from bottle and ink-wells?)
August – nice and clean
My late friends Charles de Florimonte and Godfrey Chin have both captured the fun the joys, of a Guyanese child’s August time. Wonder what they’re doing this August.
I start by stating, in deep sympathy, that today’s Guyanese child has never tasted a real “original” tennis roll (with “Red Cheese”). A good great drink of mauby is also now difficult to come by.
The old time August brought outings especially for the youth from towns. Relatives and friends from coastal Guyana, even the hinterland, would quickly be “country-come-to-town” being in Georgetown seeing new cars, motor-bikes and big buses in that then – clean Garden City.
No, I won’t go on about the lovely Church Streets and out-of-town “excursions” in August. Rather, I now make what could very well be a weird suggestion these days: during this coming last week of this August, strong grand-parents should seize children’s videogames, laptops and phones for a day or two, and do the following: teach those “kids” how to play marble games (Marbles still around?), singing buck tops, cush, chink and cock-fight.
Grandfathers, you might also find time to teach your “grands” to make sling-shots, buck-tops and/or paper-boats or duck-heads. There must be some fun left in that old-days creativity. Even as your young ones resort to their videos, phones and lap-tops.
I close my all-too-brief August recall by a re-collection of travelling on the train – yes train – from Kitty to Ann’s Grove. What an experience! I still dream that Hamley’s dream of a modern train from the East Bank, Dem. to Linden (or the Rupununi) will come through for future generations in this still blighted land. Even though I know that it is much easier to create fake summers and autumns here than to realize such necessary developmental projects. (Why not ask some Chinese or Japanese to build such?)
Depravity, Fore-told?
I guess that some Christian Believers would tell me that “wars, pestilences,” every conflict and manifestation of savagery – whether in the name of war, personal drug-use or depression – have been fore-told in their Holy Bible. All seemingly necessary to signal the advent of a new Kingdom.
Well, while that event seems mighty long in coming, persons, acting like the lowest of bad animals, are using the period in-between to do uncivilized things to one another. Ptolemy Reid of Guyana dubbed such as “man’s inhumanity to man”. The ISIS Muslims believe it’s okay to decimate, decapitate and violate all Christians in Iraqi; the Hamas fighters have no scruples in locating rocket-launchers in school compounds, mosques and bazaars, wishing Israel would bomb their innocents; they perpetuate hatred and new recruits; how do you alter their mindset? Beheading children and journalists to what end?
From the Ukraine to Nigeria, atrocities are visited upon peaceful folks in the name of some cause.
Where are those peoples’ Gods?
In Beautiful Blighted Guyana teenagers beat an 81-year-old granny and burn down her humble home. People say morality has broken down because of no example at the top and because of economic need. Someone then breaks open a graveyard tomb to take away a baby’s skull and limbs. They seemingly need those “items”. Can’t be government’s fault, that one.
So good Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, Jews, Bahais and Jordonites, educate me as to why mankind behaves like lower beasts towards his fellow humans. Do these things have to happen? How many more wives and girl-friends must die to make some prophetic point? Assist me, please.
Please Ponder
*1) The American pastor claims that Christianity is being marginalized in the United States. Just so other religions get their rights! Fascinating thought!
*2) Our government is great at establishing the agencies – Commissions, Agencies, potential institutions – but after then, what?
Til next week!
(allanafenty@yahoo.com)
