The simple pleasures of life

Mar 24, 2019 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The politics of Guyana, indeed life, can be extremely depressing and taxing. If it is not one thing, it is the other.
We live in a highly polarized society, and this acts as a dagger against objectivity. One day people will accept something as truth, but when their interests are threatened, they turn around and argue the opposite. Dealing with Guyana’s twists and turns is enough to send you crazy.
The burden of being involved in local politics, can be extremely exhausting. It can wreck your personal life. For the sake of one’s sanity, it is therefore good to have a mechanism to simply “turn off” from the politics of the country and to find some joys in the little comforts of life.
Miles Fitzpatrick, one of Guyana’s better known lawyers, was cremated last Sunday. He had his flirtations with left-wing politics, in his association with the People’s Progressive Party, the Working People’s Alliance, the ‘New World’ Movement of the 1960’s and the Grenada Revolution of 1979-1983. He was the author of one of the best analyses of race and politics in Guyana.
He was deeply involved in human rights and political causes right up to the end of the last century. The 21st century saw him, however, take a backseat in his involvement in high profile political cases and causes. He eased himself away from public life over the past two decades.
Perhaps it was age which saw him no longing taking such a high profile public stance against issues. Perhaps it was the scarring by the ugly, racist and personally insulting comments which Desmond Hoyte – himself a legal man – made about him in the run-up to the 1992 elections. Perhaps it was because he temporarily acted as a judge of the Court of Appeal and felt that his status as a former judge, even though temporary, proscribed him from active commenting, advocacy of or involvement in political causes. Perhaps, he simply gave way to a newer generation.
Or perhaps, like so many other Guyanese, he found a way of simply ‘turning off’ and sought refuge in the simple pleasures of life.
There are many Guyanese who have opted to simply ignore the rotten, constantly combative and contentious political environment, the unceasing crime and the crudeness of Guyanese life in general. Some people – believe it or not – simply do not watch the local news. They are unconcerned about the depressing news which emanates from Guyana each day. They grind no political axes and take little interest in the public affairs of the nation. They could not be bothered whether 34 or 33 is a majority of 65.
They live their own lives as if Guyana did not exist. They only look at the foreign newscasts; they go overseas on long vacations and they have hobbies which keep them occupied and oblivious to the twists, turns and tragedies here.
It would have been impossible for Miles Fitzpatrick, given his political groundings, to not have taken an interest in what was taking place in his country. But in his last days here on earth, he did seem to find things to do which brought him great pleasure and which allowed him to keep away from public involvement in Guyana’s contentious politics.
He found ways of enjoying the simple pleasures of life. It was said that he enjoyed good wine, loved cooking, was a family man, and had an obsession with horse racing.
Miles Fitzpatrick played his part in the fight for freedom, democracy and respect for human rights Whatever else he was, no one should deny him that acknowledgement.
But there comes a time when the greatest of warriors have to lay down their weapons and allow others to continue the fight. Miles, to his credit, knew when the time had come to put down his weapons and simply enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

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