A GUY'S VIEW

“‘Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. 

For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.”

So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”’

Psalm 95:8-11.

 

Today we begin a new year. The choice is ours to look back at 2016 and dwell on what was, or we can look ahead and plan how we can create a successful and prosperous 2017. Our fate is not blowing in the wind. What happens in 2017 has a lot to do with us.

 

In the year ahead, we should have a spirit of gratitude. In recent years, we have become a nation of complainers. We have allowed those who shape public opinion to lead us down a path of disgruntlement and ingratitude. The success of their effort is evidence that being called a Christian country says nothing about our understanding of the faith we profess. Persons who read the Bible should know that there is nothing more certain to bring destruction than ingratitude and complaining.

 

If one pays attention only to one section of our media, one would assume that there is nothing good about Barbados and nothing right happens here. The produce of the purveyors of this gloom has spread into the social media sites. They are sowing the wind, oblivious that they will reap the whirlwind. 

 

Instead of destroying the coop to get out the bird, we should appreciate the positives in our lives. We have challenges, but there is no need for despair. There are many examples of appreciable circumstances amid the things that we wish to improve.

 

A number of our roads have fallen into disrepair. No one can be happy at the state of roads that take a heavy toll on our vehicles and make travelling uncomfortable. But we have potholes because we have roads. I have seen roads in other countries that pale in comparison to our bad ones. Let me hasten to reiterate that I am not expressing any satisfaction with the state of some of our roads. What I am saying is that, our potholes notwithstanding, we have an excellent road network for which we should be thankful.

 

Rightly, some of our commuters express dissatisfaction with the quality of the bus service they receive. Some of us have been exposed to the bus service in developed countries and know that those services are regular, consistent and on time. We long to see a service of similar quality in Barbados. However, we do not take into account the disparity of resources between what is available to us as opposed to what those “first-world” countries can afford. 

 

However, there are also other considerations that we ignore. One is the cost of the service. Bus fares in those countries with excellent bus service are reflective of the cost of travel. Not so in Barbados. Has anyone stopped to think of the fact that persons travel from Bridgetown to St. Lucy and St. Philip for a fare of $2.00? In my view, that is a reason to be thankful. Looking on from the outside, one is not sure just how long the state can continue to subsidise bus fares to the extent that it does now, but the long-standing low fare is a major contribution by the state to the pockets of those who use the bus service.

 

We have gone through another hurricane season without any major impact. We almost take it for granted that we will be alright during the hurricane season. Yet, we should not become complacent and assume that we are beyond a direct strike from a weather system. Experience has shown that major damage may be suffered without a direct hit. 

 

Aggressive weather systems may not be of great concern for those who live in secure buildings, but there are many whose dwelling is wooden and may not be best designed to withstand a hurricane. They should be thankful and the rest of us should be grateful that our neighbours and relatives remain safe and comfortable throughout this high risk season.

 

We hear of accident victims and others injured in other ways who are rushed to our principal health care facility. And no one tries to verify that they have insurance before they are given care. This is not the case in the richest country in the world.

 

The world we live in is not always kind to small states like ours. Even when we are not specifically targeted, small states suffer from the fallout of disputes between larger powers. This reality has often hampered the development of some countries. We continue to strive, even in a hostile environment. 

 

The people of the United States of America have elected Donald Trump as their new President. This threatens to change world relations as we know them. There is good evidence that Donald Trump was elected through the agency of the Russians. As he pursues his business interests and abides by the dictates of Mr. Putin, the dynamics of the relationship between these two countries will change drastically. What will this mean for the rest of the world? 

 

Pursuing the foreign policy of non-alignment, being friend of all and satellite of none, has not always been easy. Those challenges aside, Barbados has managed to direct its international affairs in such a manner as to maintain our standing as a good place to live and work, even for persons who originate in more developed countries.

 

We must be cautious as we move forward into the new year, but we must never be timid. There is no doubt that there will be challenges ahead, but that is no reason for fear. Events around us may be uncertain, but we should set our faces like flint towards our desired goals and keep moving forward.

 

There will always be some among us who would choose dependence above the work that comes from independent thought and action. When our forefathers grumbled in the desert against Moses and God, wrath was vented on them. We have not learnt a lot in four thousand years. Their complaining ensured that only two men of all the thousands who left Egypt entered the Promised Land. We have much to be thankful for. It would serve us well if we live lives of gratitude and thanksgiving. If we do, 2017 will be a blessed year for this country.