-The “working-from-home” phenomenon
I peruse our newspapers and Internet Applications; watch and listen to television and political presentations, it is easy to appreciate that too many contributions – some unwittingly, many deliberately – often, even daily, either emphasise or incite our human contributors’ differences.
(Pardon the long sentence – paragraph immediately above but spare a thought for the “battle” between differences and division versus sameness and similarities.) Agreed, daily letter-writers?
Will I ever write, in my layman’s style, my short book reminding all of us that humankind all originated on the continent of Africa? That we were all once dark or brown? And that thousands of years in varied climatic conditions created today’s physical “differences”? Thus splitting up one human race into numerous “races”? Well let me dare to offer comments on our “differences” – real, actual – or perceived.
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Cultural, social – appreciate, even enjoy!
As mankind “diffused” and settled around the globe various groups developed certain behaviours that, slowly but surely, became habitual ways-of-living. “Way-of-life” is the most basic form of describing “culture”.
Today in Guyana our national character or “culture” has benefited from many strands originating from various continents. From First-People Mashramani to Matticore or Queh-Queh. Catholicism or Jordanites, Anglicans, Rastafari, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hindus or Muslims, Guyanese worship some Greater Creator and we are somehow very tolerant and understanding regarding those differences; just as we enjoy our different foods and forms of dressing.
In most societies of this world, the poor, needy and under-privileged or dis-possessed constitute the majorities. Class structures and differences arise from opportunity. Often that opportunity was derived from those who seized power, authority from the earliest; from access to good health, all-round education and training and, often, family background. Slowly social differences created “classes”.
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Political, racial – created and exploited
How our good ole Guyana knows of these created, engineered, manipulated “differences”. They have wreaked havoc on a vulnerable, compromised, stupid (?) population since 1957 – sixty-five years ago. I chose 1957 because that was the first general elections in British Guiana after the British conveniently “suspended” even their own fledgling “Constitution” which governed then (1953).
No need to recite again our sordid political story. Frankly speaking I have my personal bias in blaming one of the two national “leaders” of different “race” groups for our six-and-a-half decades of aggressive sometimes deadly political schisms. I actually supported him and his Party for 25 years. But who should I, should we now support? And why? Where are the dozen small “parties” that emerged in 2019/2020?
I can’t /won’t promote non-support for political parties who divide us in seeking to lead us. Pity that racial considerations still now influence our choices. I never succumbed to such since I first voted in 1968. (Alyuh try to be like me.)
I am even more skeptical, cautious about writing about race in our green land. (Pity we aren’t all green in colour…)
Any history or analysis of our racial differences, sometime antagonisms, would take pages upon pages. So just one bit of (escapist) advices: find out what your religion teaches about “race”. Until …
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Killer floods, wealthy queens
Last Friday I devoted several column inches to hurricanes and floods. As I leave Fort Myers Florida, I must mention how Americans – from Tennessee to Florida – cower from not having electricity, telephone, computer, television, internet services. Oh, how the rich can suffer from loss of “norms”.
But as I leave Florida’s Fort Myers, I marvel at President Biden’s commitment to send billions to Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee to aid recovery and rebuilding; and how several other American States are aiding the afflicted ones.
Meanwhile in devastated Pakistan and Haiti and Cuba, years and more hurricanes will pass by. Oh, for a more equitable distribution of the world’s resources.
Long after the fact and the passing I pay an old-timer’s tribute to the pomp and pageantry, parades and ceremonies, sheer colour and military splendour as Britain said goodbye to the seventy-year reign of Elizabeth of Windsor.
The traditional character of the English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh was on display for other monarchies and the world to witness and enjoy.
Hey! Did you know that Queen Liz’s partial wealth amounted to $447 million of personal cash out of a staggering $88 billion!! Who can spend that? What is done with that British State’s “wealth”? You tell me. Surely, she’s resting in peace – and not poverty.
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Working from home …
I’m in the house in Florida with a very adult daughter and son-in-law. In hurricane-hit Fort Myers they’re still “working from home”. Now since the early 2020 pandemic the world adopted this “work-from-home” virtual reality. But to watch my people in front of their array of computers and as if they are “talking to themselves”, never fails to tickle old-fashioned me?
Naturally, they get paid electronically and shop “on-line” from their banks and credit/debit cards. Sometimes, oft-times, no need to leave the house!
Poor me. I repeat, I still recognise the struggling-to-exist physical office and store. And I still need to interact with actual people.
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Pause to ponder…
1. In Guyana’s society of temporary, permanent (?) divisions, which leaders can be reconcilers, arbiters, peace-makers?
2. In Florida – perhaps elsewhere in the USA too – There is actually pet rent! For every pet cat or dog you pay an additional $25.00 on your house rent or lease. And don’t allow your pet to be overweight! (My daughter’s twelve-year-old pet cat formally has her surname: Meet Dino Springer!)
3. Even the American Halloween cakes and sweets have hurricane themes and “colours”. Resilient America.
