When the happy days are gone

Apr 27, 2017 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

A star is not born every day. But sometimes it is only when a star dies that their accomplishments are more fully appreciated.
The death, this past week, of Erin Moran, star of the sitcom “Happy Days’ reminds us that happy days are not here to stay. When the rainy days arrive we must be prepared for it, umbrella and raincoat in hand.
‘Happy Days’ did not last forever. The popular TV show had eleven seasons, very short by today’s standards. But Erin Moran’s role remained unforgettable. She was one of the darlings of the show. It made her a lot of money and a lot of fans.
But then hard times struck and the fans and friends could not be found. When you are on top of the world, the whole world wants to be your friend. But when times get harder – as it did for Erin— the friends tend to disappear quickly.
We had a world boxing champion in this country called Andrew Lewis. He had a lot of friends when he was in his prime and had lots of money. But no sooner had his money disappeared so too did his friends. He lost his life riding a bicycle. This is what a former world champion came to just before he died. He was pedaling a bike rather than driving an SUV.
You have to take care of yourself. Do not play for the fans. Do not play for your country. Play for your team and play for yourself because when times get tough, you can be sure that your fans will not be around and even your country will turn its back on you.
This past week the government welcomed home in heroic style the athletes who participated in this month’s Carifta Games. The government is desperate for publicity and so it went overboard in welcoming the team. The President even hosted them at State House.
It is a good thing, of course, for a country to welcome back home the team which did well. But the government has to be careful that it is not creating high expectations for these young athletes. These athletes are in the limelight today but what happens next week when they have to recommence their training. Who is going to help them with all the expenses that it takes to be a top athlete. Who is going to help them with their meals, their training gear and their transportation?
The red carpet is paid out for them. They are allowed into the VIP lounge but on the next flight out it is not going to be the VIP. They will walk down the street next week and people will forget that they did so well for Guyana. They will be forgotten.
The Carifta Games is a junior athletics championship event though there is an Over-20 category. It is not a highly rated championship. Jamaica had dominated this championship. Guyana did its best this year but the real test will come in other championships this year such as the Commonwealth Games, the Pan Am Games, the South American Championships and the Central American and Caribbean Championships which is of a much higher standard than the Carifta Games. We therefore have to be careful that we are not setting the wrong precedent in respect to the medalists of the Carifta Games.
The government should establish a system of sports honours just as it does with national honours. It should honour its athletes and sportsmen and sportswomen while they are alive. The government should not wait until it is too late before it honours Guyana’s stars.

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