Public figures are often judged on the basis of the successful policy initiatives they were able to achieve during their tenure.
Late Prime Minister David Thompson was in office for only 33 months and for nearly a third of that period was battling the pancreatic cancer he finally succumbed to.
What then is his legacy? How will history record his contribution to Barbados? And what lessons, if any, can we learn from his life?
The true mettle of Mr Thompson can be measured by the positive impression he made on the lives of average Barbadians. Many remember him as their friend and confidant. They speak of his thoughtfulness and selflessness. And they praise him for his unswerving loyalty and kindness.
The scores of personal accounts by average Barbadians of how he touched their lives by some timely intervention speaks volumes about Mr Thompson’s humanity and love for his fellowman.
And it is clear from the stories that he was not there for them to gain political favour; rather, it was because he genuinely cared about their well-being.
One of the most touching stories is of his friendship with a convicted armed robber. Mr Thompson allowed the man, Patrick Moore, to work at his private residence as a gardener.
Moore, who served 16 years in jail, said: “When I came home [from prison], people that I knew from small looked at me with disdain, and Mr Thompson, who supposed to be an upper class person . . . opened his arms to me. He did not see no dangers in me.”
Given such heartfelt testimonies, it is obvious that the widespread emotional outpouring at the loss of Mr Thompson is genuine. So much so that his eldest daughter, Misha, was moved to remark this week: “We did not know that so many people loved and cared for him so much.”
Mr Thompson spent most of his 48 years under the scrutiny of public life. From a schoolboy he was politically active and shortly after graduating from law school, he succeededhis mentor, Errol Barrow, as the parliamentary representative for St John. He was just 25 years old.
For the last 23 years he was a Cabinet minister, Leader of the Opposition, and party leader. He was also a successful attorney, husband and family man.
Unlike most politicians here who have solid careers before getting involved in politics, Mr Thompson grew up in full view of the public and managed to conduct his life with such dignity that today he is being honoured by both friend and foe.
Clearly, the message here is that political involvement need not be as corrosive as it sometimes gets.
What’s more, young people can see in Mr Thompson’s life a sense of purpose and a commitment to achieve goals. He loved Barbados and had a vision for where he wanted this country to go, and worked steadfastly at it. These are qualities worth emulating.
Mr Thompson showed in his life that public service is really about what you can do for your country, and not just what the country can do for you.
