In our youth most of us are eager to grow older. And then we reach an age, which for many is in our twenties or thirties, when we wish for time to slow, reverse or even pause. Still, our desire to control it, is beyond the bounds of possibility. As we watch youth slip away, we count our regrets and are grateful for the triumphs. In some instances, the time we set to accomplish goals passes without us achieving what we envisioned. In this competitive world, where our worth is often measured by our possessions and bank accounts, what we deem as failure, can affect our self-esteem. We might even worry ourselves into a state of depression when we assess the appearance of success in others.
The beginning of each year is a time many of us use for such reflections and another opportunity to start anew or continue to build. Many people set goals by way of vision boards, where they would write their desires or use images; the hope in setting one’s intention, feeling it and living like it has already happened, is a key to manifesting the life we desire.
With the start of 2020, many Guyanese seemed to have entered this year with the spirit of optimism. This will be no ordinary year for us. It is the year we not only celebrate our Republic Jubilee, but an election year and the year of the first revenues from oil production. It has been declared a ‘Decade of Development’ with the announcement on December 20th, 2019 that oil production started for Exxon’s Liza Phase 1. It is estimated that in the coming months, production will reach its capacity of 120,000 barrels a day. The day was declared National Petroleum Day by President Granger who also promised that every Guyanese will benefit from petroleum production and no one will be left behind. Perhaps in the future December 20th will also be declared a National Holiday. With the prospective wealth estimated to last for many generations, adding another holiday to our calendar could be one of the perks of being a citizen of an affluent nation. Words like “affluent” might cause skeptics to laugh, however. With a lack of faith in leadership and our history, pessimists may emphasise a narrative that might read like “Guyana’s wealth being distributed equitably and therefore improving the lives of all Guyanese, is the imagination of fools – a fantasy even.”
Still while those voices penetrate all sections of the society, the echo of optimism seems louder in some instances. It is no secret that Guyana has always been rich in natural resources. The question is if oil will correct the mistakes we have made. Whether oil will really glide all of Guyana’s children into a life of prosperity and stabilize a country that has been plagued by social issues and crippled in many aspects because of politics.
Still many Guyanese were elated at the news of oil production. Even as ExxonMobil made a fifteenth discovery and Tullow Oil has just made another discovery, the announcement of the first production has assured many Guyanese. Observing the reactions of people from watching their posts on social media and listening in on conversations, it appears that some are sure that they are closer to the ‘good life’. Still, questions linger: will it really be a decade of the progress we deserve and imagined since Independence or will corruption, egos and greed see black gold running in the veins of a select few while the majority of the population will only see little drops while days, months and years pass and their intentions on their vision boards fade or turn to dust? Declarations like “We will be one of the richest countries in the world” and “They have to respect us now” expose the hunger the Guyanese people have for advancement and respect.
I observed many statements and engaged in conversations about how especially some Caribbean islands would have treated Guyanese. The bench in Barbados, for example. There was a time when many Guyanese would leave for Barbados only to return a few hours or a day later. They were put to sit on that bench when they got to Barbados and were refused entry into the country. Have we ever put any Barbadian to sit on a bench? The only visitors to this country I have ever really heard being given a hard time or sent back to their country are Haitians. The battle with Trinidadians has also being highlighted. The blatant disrespect some Guyanese would have endured from Trinidadians. At Carifesta in Trinidad last year I experienced a snippet of the disrespect a few times though most of my experiences were great. Still many believe that the islands like Trinidad and Barbados will have to respect us because we will be able to brag about our wealth and development and we will again be the breadbasket of the Caribbean.
Many choose to be optimistic; still the voices of the naysayers cannot be muted. There are many examples of the hopes and dreams of people being crushed because of the corruption induced by oil wealth and again our history is that of men in power enriching themselves, while the majority of the population fought for the scraps. Diamond, gold, bauxite, have been exploited for many decades; many foreigners have enriched themselves off of our resources, but yet still we are here.
The transformation that will occur in the next years will either make or further destroy us. But while we wait on oil wealth, we cannot forget that which will strengthen us as a nation, whether we have oil or not – that is respecting each other, honest and strong leadership and truly striving for national unity. If we are able to accomplish that, it will ensure our survival.
Still while oil flows, we also cannot neglect other sectors, like Agriculture, for example, and further fatten ourselves with the diet of foreigners. Our prosperity also depends on the health of the nation. Industries like mining also need to be improved; safer practices need to be implemented that will not endanger the lives of our people by poisoning the environment. Much damage has already been done.
So, while we reflect on how time has aged and taught us, while we assess our failures and successes, while we view our vision boards, collectively we can manifest the Guyana we desire and deserve by truly uniting. We can manifest a Guyanese reality of all being afforded the good life. It can be a decade where the morale of the people will also be strengthened and that can only mean a better society. But will such aspirations remain on our collective vision board? Simply imagination or fantasy? Only time can tell.
