There are a lot of lessons we can learn from the past week

Jul 06, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
CARICOM Day was recently observed (welcome and good luck Uncle Ralph). The USA also celebrated 4th of July. Canada would have celebrated Independence Day July 1st. England celebrates her……naw, forget it! That’s right, there are many countries that do not have an independence day, e.g. France, Russia, Spain, China, Japan, Australia, Nepal, Thailand, etc. Guyana indulged in 54 years of being independent but what do we have to show for it? A caretaker PNC government who bankrupted this nation not once but twice from a surplus created twice by the PPP/C government. Fireworks is an integral part on the agenda to commemorate any celebration for any nation. It heralds the culmination of a remarkable day filled with fun, frolic and enjoyment as fans eagerly await darkness to dispel light so that the sound of detonation would commence the engineering skill and artistry of pyrotechnics. Such a spectacular sight to see the brilliant lights shooting in the air to touch the sky; then exploding magnificently to scatter in different formations; propelling to various directions; displaying the luminous rainbow colours; then gently and graciously descending back to earth but dissipating in humility to a much appreciative crowd of admirers, cheering, shouting, applauding and craving for more to satisfy an insatiable appetite that remains hungry for excitement and thrill! To see the glee in the eyes of children and listen to their oohs and awes is self- rewarding and, worthy of any sacrifice to please the young innocent souls that one day will reciprocate but to their own, perhaps.
The song, “Spinning Wheel,” was popularized by the rock band, Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968 with the beginning lyrics:
What goes up must come down
Spinning wheel got to go round.
Talkin’ bout your troubles it’s a cryin’ sin
Ride a painted pony, let the spinning wheel spin.
Many children love to watch planes taking off on the tarmac and soaring into the sky to the great beyond, unsure of their destinations and not knowing who are the passengers. This is an adventure by itself and a great past time. Just to look at pilots dressed in their smart uniforms brings a smile to the face of a kid. Those planes ascend and descend. Another idea of fun is boys in particular, throwing a cricket ball as far as their arms would allow up in the air and watch it coming down faster than they would like and catch it. This can be tricky with the sun in your eyes playing havoc or mistiming the speed or misplacing its direction. Isn’t it so much fun to go kite flying also and see your kite soaring up in the air, staying stationary or dancing with the clouds on a bright sunny day, especially with a breezy wind that makes it so fulfilling? At the end of the kite flying day, you do need to pull that kite down. An inquisitive child would want to know what is holding up the stars in the sky so that they do not fall!
Guyana has a lot of shooting stars, many aiming high with huge expectations and very ambitious.
The student would always hear, “aim for the sky.” The teacher would always advise the student to target for a 100 in any subject so in event if you fall, you can still be in the 90’s. But if you aim only for a pass (50%) and you fall, then you’re below the passing mark and you will certainly fail. Many of the big wigs are flying high but don’t want to be realistic and acknowledge that their wings have been cut. The farmer knows to clip the wings of docks and fowls so that they do not fly away. Remember the rise of APNU+AFC in 2015 and the fall in 2018 (NCM)? But those stars are still shining in the sky in 2020! Okay, how about March 2nd elections day? Didn’t we see the display by so many presumptuous flirters flying on Cloud 9 ranting, “we won, we won” on Lamaha Street (even wrongly influencing innocent supporters to take to the streets) and refusing to touch base with realty, knowing that they didn’t? But dem ole people warn we that, “what goes up must come down!” You cannot stay up forever, even the astronauts go up and come down. To stay up in the air, you need oxygen, lots. APNU+AFC’s oxygen tank is empty, refilling time is scheduled for a potential 2025 (if) and not before or now! Get real Mr. “G,” it’s not a one-way passage or street but definitely a two way. Even DOCOL cannot help you and forget the other gas, it’s still buried in the sea only for Exxon’s use.
Mother earth spins on its axis at a speed of 1,000 MPH (1,600 KM. per hr.) which is responsible for us enjoying the beauty of day and night. One of NASA’s studies reveal that the earth is experiencing an irregular spin and causing a shift of 33 feet (10M) by the end of the Century. This is mainly due to three reasons: (1) glacial rebound, (2) melting of the global cryosphere (especially Greenland) and (3) mantle convection. Nothing remains in one place forever or is stationary. Ole people say, “what goes around, comes around.” Be careful of what you do, either in words, deeds or actions for, there is a tendency that, the very effect will affect you later. The APNU+AFC party has been squatting in office since 2018 and refuse to demit office. The spinning wheel has deposited this load of laborious headaches again in our laps since 2015 to 2020.
Do we deserve this gift? Are we paying for our terrible mistakes?
Are we being punished? Is this a taste of one’s own medicine? A team of ruckus losers from a circus, who pride themselves in bogus mathematical hocus pocus but cannot focus because they are blanked by much mucus, have an entire nation hanging in midair for the past 124 antagonizing and heart wrenching days and counting.
Who will cut the string so we can come down once again landing softly and continue on the move with our goodly lives? Will it be you Madam Chair Ms. Claudette Singh, the saviour, or CARICOM, our big brothers and sisters watching our very backs, or the ABCE, OAS and the rest of the international community waiting for the green light to show Mr. “G” what they can do? Oh no, not again to the courts to see who is right or wrong over 33 and 32 to give them 65 to mystify and petrify! Will dictatorship come around to haunt us again? Will there be Martial Law to fear? Which is worse anarchy or pariah? Are we going to sample a taste of “hell” again? Mr. Mike Pompeo has spoken and Guyana is on the watch, looking to see, “where eagles dare,” and “the eagles have landed,” but not on the TV screen.
Is true, the train used to leave Georgetown, go to Rosignol and return to Georgetown, but that was gotten rid of. The train also used to leave Vreed-en- Hoop, go to Parika and return to Vreed-en-Hoop, but then no more. They brought the Tata buses as replacement but all ended up in displacement! They banned the goods and ran KSI’s and yes, all ended up sky high! Nationalize, nationalize, yes, show them who is the boss (not Bruce Lee), but…they forgot how to rationalize!
All the corporations were running a race to place dem big boys and when they don’t ace, nobody can ask why when things went awry! Hello Essequibo, what’s happening with the new Power Plant?
Already in trouble and only a year old? They know how to break and not to build but give them some credit, man, they also know how to rig, wriggle and fiddle, and, why not, you can add juggle, jiggle and giggle, all at the poor tax payers’ expense. Time is of the most crucial element and is the pure, unadultered essence that is critically required by their palpitation.
A number of them Party boys and girls already packed and shoving off, others, they need more time, “ to clean the slate.” The Party is still carrying on with the party until the very end, waiting for the kitty to run dry of not only free boarding and lodging… Watch how some tongues remain permanently twisted. Some strange things continue to happen, every day you can learn something new. Now we know you can catch COVID-19 even on virtual, so stay away from virtual. Thanks, Mr. “G,” Ralphie boy is much obliged and so is the rest of the leaders in CARICOM. Voter impersonation couldn’t work in 2015 but can work in 2020? Man, go work with the Power Plant and fix their problem! Good old Mr. J can do with some of your help to fix his finance or you’re scared of a 4th charge?
How long will the waiting time and lines be for “confession?” “Forgive them Dear Lord, for they know not what they do” will be the new mantra and hit tune. A popular saying in Guyana is, “time longer than twine.”
Let’s first wait on next Wednesday before we cross any more bridges. But some people are busy, burning the bridges that they crossed. Bad tactic, ask soldier boy, he will tell you choose carefully, don’t go into anything with closed eyes and always have a back-up plan. Don’t bank on the South, the North, the West nor the East, you’ll probably stand a slim chance only, “up” (stairs). There are a lot of lessons we can learn from the past week only if we want to pay attention, otherwise, things will come back to haunt us.
Remember, what goes up must come down so don’t build castles in the air and what goes around, comes around, so be careful how you spin the “wheel of fortune.” Guyana is tired, tried and tested, it needs a break. What medicine and from whom can make the people of this sick nation enjoy a goodnight’s rest?
Respectfully,
Jai Lall

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