I could start off this column by lamenting ’bout all the many negative things dat we see and hear bout evah day.
I could talk ’bout all the things dat me and a whole lot o’ other people in Barbados doan like. I could lament ’bout the wastage, the garbage, the unnecessary dumping, the cussing and carrying on, the high taxes, the bills, and the overall cost o’ living, but what would dat do nuh? All it would do is add on years pon my life, and instead o’ appreciating what we have, cause me tuh look old, tired and miserable. And I gine tell ya, dah ain’t gine happen.
Look, despite all dat has happened ovah the past 11 months, we still here and we still in we right minds. Some o’ we, thank God, still working and some o’ the ones dat aint holding down a li’l job right now, trying duh hands at some li’l thing tuh bring in a dollar. We still breathing and we got resilience. We know how tuh bounce back and we know how tuh make ends meet. Dat is why despite all dat is happening, ya could still see the supermarkets and shops full o’ people wid duh trolleys full o’ goods.
A fella tell me the other day dat he ain’t getting the Christmas feeling at all like before and ask me how I feel. I tell him I know it is Christmas, I could feel dat it is Christmas because the cool breezes coming in; but the thing dat I missing more than anything this year is the lights ’pon people houses.
Every Christmas, I like tuh drive ’bout and look at the different ways people does have duh houses decorated and dat is what I miss this year more than anything else. I does really enjoy dat. The radio stations still playing nice Christmas music, the hustle and bustle is still there but the different decorations ’pon houses does make it more festive.
I suppose people decide, like Carmeta Fraser used tuh say, dat food comes first. So duh putting duh priorities in place by making sure dat duh got something evah suh slight ’pon the table come Christmas morning and I cahn say dat I blame duh neither, ya cahn eat the lights and apart from dat, the electric bill high enough as it is.
A couple o’ weeks back I talk bout the lights in town, how low-key evahthing look but now I see dat duh got the whole o’ Independence Square full o’ Christmas trees. It looks beautiful, I ain’t get the chance tuh get in there yet, I just drive by and look at it but fuh sure I have tuh spend some time relaxing and enjoying it.
It is good tuh see all the different charities, businesses and even individual people dat have been helping tuh bring a li’l happiness tuh families in need this Christmas. The Salvation Army people wid duh li’l red buckets out in full force at evah supermarket door trying tuh bring in money tuh feed and provide fuh the multitude o’ people dat does appear at duh headquarters evah single day and more than anything else, at Christmas.
I thank God fuh these caring people who every single year does make sacrifices and go outta duh way tuh reach out tuh people less fortunate than demselves. I pray dat everybody would have something, nuh matter how slight, tuh eat Christmas Day.
Have a happy, safe and blessed Christmas everybody.
Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.