ONE CURSORY GLANCE at the news or social media broadcasts on any given day would give the impression that the world is in absolute chaos – from the bombing of churches in the east to civil unrest in the south to a new wild, wild west in the most easterly of Caribbean islands.
Yet, if we look closer, we will see that there are many places like Norway that are considered to be an oasis of peace, where people live harmoniously with each other with a strong sense of community spirit.
Barbados was once like that. It was indeed a place where our young people respected themselves and their elders. We felt safe at any hour as we fixed our energies on being industrious and innovative.
It saddens my heart to see that we have not only fallen, but we have forgotten how to recover when we are in a spiral. How can we recover and make Barbados an oasis of peace again?
First, we need to slow down, take a moment to reflect and then consider where we went wrong. One of the things I would like to table for consideration in this first step to recovery is to acknowledge that while we worked tirelessly to provide our children with the best of things and opportunities, we failed miserably in helping them to understand and appreciate the value of what was made available to them.
There is no denying that our children live in a push-button world and many of them have no idea what life is like having to fetch water from the nearby standpipe, or using a lantern to do homework, or walking to school with no shoes.
Accordingly, I would like to offer a suggestion in this regard. Let us establish a no-technology day once a week in our homes where we turn off the water and the lights on the inside. With the Wi-Fi off, no tablets, no TV, no radios, what will we do as a family for that evening?
Our no-technology day will help us to slow down (throttle back) and perhaps remind us of and expose our young people to the magic of an oasis when family sat together around a dancing light in fellowship, with love for each other and for their fellow man.
– SEAN ST CLAIR FIELDS