LEAVE ALL YOUR TROUBLES BEHIND…!
“Life is like a carnival ride. The good things in life represent the high points of the ride. However, carnivals are celebrated to enjoy the festivities of special occasions around the world. Carnival festivities have such a charm that every person forgets his worries and lives in the present moment. Furthermore, carnivals are also used as the symbol of life in terms of philosophy.†Cyrus
No matter what our problems and challenges are in the world at this time, we in Saint Lucia will be taking this weekend off to Jump Up. Every year, we hear the Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture declaring that Carnival Monday and Tuesday are neither Public nor Commercial holidays. It is an important national cultural event on our calendar of activities. Maybe, it is time we make it some kind of recognised holiday.
The Carnival weekend is here and revelry will spill over to the new week – Monday and Tuesday. I am not going to move a muscle. I am staying put in Castries. I have a feeling that the revelling boys and girls are going to go all out to have one of the most memorable Carnivals. Some of my young friends have alerted me to look out for them while I am trying to get some of my older friends to be line markers and enjoy the fun. Let us pray that the weather holds so that we can have a Sunshine Carnival.
I can understand the feeling of freedom that is emanating from the souls of the revellers. I feel this is the year that would have been great to decentralise carnival. But wait; don’t let us move too fast. I just remembered that COVID-19 is still around and there is some B5 virus, and not forgetting Monkeypox, circulating around the place. So whatever we do, we have to do it with caution, being ever mindful of the environment that we are in. Don’t forget the COVID 19 protocols; apply them so that you can be around for many more Carnivals.
There is a lot happening in the world at this time, and everyone is concerned about INFLATION and the ECONOMY. The Government of the United States of America is under severe pressure from its citizens. In spite there has been an ease in the price of fuel, inflation continues to soar. Rents on residential properties are rising. New housing stocks will necessitate higher rents, as escalating cost of building materials, and scarcity of skilled labour will demand that the rental rates will have to be adjusted upward. The issues are hot in the USA as the nation heads to the midterm elections. The irony about how voters look at the incumbent is that they caused the problem and guys in opposition seeking their vote will fix it. It is sometimes a blame game with no real reasoning on the part of voters. In some cases the voters may be right the guys waiting in the wings can actually fix things.
The United Kingdom had its share of chaos in recent days. The Rt. Hon. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister resigned and the nation now awaits a new Prime Minister. I do not see any shift in support for Ukraine. NATO is very much against the war in Ukraine as President Putin of Russia seeks to take over the territory and expand his dominance. Russia is currently occupying 20% of Ukraine. It seems as though this war will continue for a long while.
Politics make strange bed fellows and today, we see that President Joe Biden is warming up to the Saudis as he commences his tour of the Middle East. It is all about getting open-minded world leaders to support Ukraine and bring an end to the wanton destruction that is taking place in that country. It is all about expediency.
The status that was awarded to the Caribbean many years ago still holds today. I remember writing about that privileged status – the English Speaking Caribbean being a zone of peace. Today, in spite of all that is going on in the world, we are so happy to be able to live peacefully without any disruption that will get in the way of our normal routine. It is for that reason we shall be dancing in the streets for Carnival 2022, whether it rains or shines.
It is Kaiso and Soca time, let’s leave our troubles behind, jump up, and enjoy our blessed status! Stay safe and enjoy Carnival in our beautiful Saint Lucia.
Edward Harris
Freelance Journalist/Realtor/Business Consultant
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