I AIN’T KNOW if it is me or if ya’all feeling the same way too, but I gine tell ya, all like now so one time, around this kinda time o’ the year, I would be feeling some kind o’ change in the atmosphere, some kind o’ feelings of excitement and expectation, but tuh be honest wid ya, I ain’t feeling nutten so.
Maybe it is me, maybe I getting old and a little out o’ touch, or maybe I am expecting too much in my old age.
Maybe I expect dat things will remain the same as in years gone by and because I am kinda holding on tuh the old-time way o’ life, I cahn seem tuh see, enjoy and appreciate the changes.
Now look at this month fuh example, this is the month dat we celebrating Barbados’ Independence. This is the month dat we celebrating 46 years of Independence. This is the time o’ year when the whole place should start tuh come alive wid all kinda excitement.
But no soul, all ya does hear is old songs pon the radio and all ya does notice when ya look around the island is a couple pieces o’ bunting here and there. Even the ones pon the Government buildings look poor-rakey, like if somebody wake up one day and realize dat it is the month dat we will be celebrating we Independence and send and get a piece o’ fabric wid the national colours and stick um on pon the front o’ the building.
One time, after all the lot o’ disruption in town a whole evening fuh the lighting ceremony, when the light switch finally get put on, the whole o’ Bridgetown used tuh come alive and be light up like a fairy tale land.
Most o’ the buildings and shops used tuh be light up in all kinds o’ designs and the buildings dat didn’t have lights used tuh stick out like a sore thumb.
But not now, it ain’t so nuh more hear?
Look, it is totally in reverse now, the few businesses which still participating in the lighting up fuh Independence programme, now doing the sticking out. Doan talk ’bout the roundabouts at all, they all came alive one time and have now all gone back tuh sleep, evah one o’ dem shut down.
There have some business dat Independence or nuh Independence, from as early as late October would start duh in-house Christmas advertising, dem ain’t care nutten ’bout nuh Barbados Independence, but despite the early Christmas advertising, even dat ain’t suh exciting. All o’ dat low-keyed.
It looks like people holding on pon the two cents duh getting when the week and month come, only tuh put li’l food pon duh tables fuh Christmas hear?
Look, I ain’t hear nuhbody jumping up and carrying on ’bout Christmas like one time when ya used tuh hear people talking ’bout what duh gine do fuh Christmas; which store duh see nice curtains in and the stores ain’t brekking down wid women trying tuh get the early bargains pon the curtains before the late rush. But there’s a thing nuh?
But talking ’bout dat, it ain’t only Independence and Christmas dat low-keyed ya know, look, it is soon time tuh call a date fuh the general elections and the politicians out there trying duh best tuh score points pon one another at the various meetings, but while all o’ dat going on, the majority o’ people, especially the young ones, like duh couldn’t even care less.
Duh say dat this is an election year and you would expect dat people would be hyped up and vocal ovah who should or should not be the body tuh run the country, but nuhbody ain’t jumping up and carrying on ’bout politics like one time.
I know this column might sound a li’l low-keyed but I gine tell ya, dat is just how I am seeing and feeling it.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
