A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease. – John Muir
THE?Scottish-born American author, renowned 20th century naturalist that he was, might be forgiven for seemingly glorifying the tempest, or recording his beatific experience within the storm’s rage. After all, John Muir was among the earliest advocates of preserving for all time the wilderness in the United States.
But no matter how deep one’s naturalism, there comes a time when we will not challenge nature’s mighty hand; when we simply will not tempt fate. And were Mr Muir still with us, he would readily agree, for he respected our God-given habitat.
We are not unmindful of the charge the show must go on; and so, on the surface of it, there is some merit in Minister of Culture Stephen Lashley’s declaration of a contingency plan if Friday’s rainy weather is not amenable to a Kensington Oval Pic-O-De-Crop Finals show. But that would have been well with the soul of every calypso fan if the weather wasn’t possibly going to be so turbulent that Barbados had to be on tropical storm watch since yesterday.
How can Minister of Culture Stephen Lashley then so comfortably talk about moving the Finals to the Gymnasium in the event the expected tropical storm comes a-rushing the island? Are people not supposed to be at home, or some other secure place, battening down, or already battened down for a tropical storm?
In addition, can the thousands of fans that would take in the Finals at Kensington be accommodated in the Gymnasium? It seems to raise questions about safety and comfort and imageries of chaos and confusion.
In normal inclement weather on Tuesday, St Catherine’s Anglican Church in St Philip was struck by lightning, damaging electrical and telephone systems, and rocking its belfry’s coral stone out of place. It is simply storm season.
And if?we?were?minded to?forget, this week’s St Catherine’s experience, concomitant with the severe thunderstorm the south of Barbados suffered, should surely jog the memory.
We can hardly stop tropical storms from coming, but as we have said before we can be so prepared that we find ourselves in the sturdiest possible place, in the most probable comfortable circumstance, in the most healthy state.
We are not sure we are seeing the right mindset about this expected bad weather on Friday. Safety must take priority over the show that “must go on”. It behoves us all thus to be alert . . . .
Naturally, we yearn for an all-clear, but this is more likely better enjoyed when we have taken nothing for granted.