NOTHING AIN’T THE same nuh more. Evah single thing is changing and right before ya very eyes too. Of course duh got some people who ain’t really care one way or the other; duh couldn’t care if Sunday come pon a Monday – it is all the same tuh dem, duh gine ‘long wid it.
Look at the amount o’ boys,…..well, uh means men pon the block: you think one time you woulda evah see so many young men sitting around all day long just breezing and doing absolutely nothing? No, soul. Parents used tuh let ya know straight dat dem support you all the way through school; so from the time you walk outta dem school doors the last Friday of your school life, by the Monday morning bright and early, ya used tuh be up, dressed and off tuh Mr So and So place tuh learn a trade, hear? Doan mek sport.
Not nowadays. The parents pon the very block wid duh sons, getting on the same way, doing the same things, wearing duh clothes the same way and talking the same language. Look, if you check good, you would learn dat a good few o’ the men pon the blocks all cross the island is family tuh one another. I notice dat even the girls joining dem pon the block now.
Look at the babies dat borning now. One time ya use tuh have tuh lay down babies in ya arms in a li’l blanket when duh born. Not now. From the time the child born, the li’l young parents does got it fling ovah duh shoulder. Up tuh yesterday I was watching a young girl wid a li’l tiny baby, nuh more than about a month old, fling ovah she left shoulder and struggling tuh hold a big able umbrella in she right hand. She stop the ZR van dat was in front o’ me and get in. I ain’t know how she get the umbrella closed or if anybody help she wid dat or the baby ’cause I pull out from behind the van and went ’long bout muh business.
Talking ’bout babies, though: duh only just born and in a few short months, duh mout does be full o’ teet and duh does be eating hard food and looking ’bout like dem been ’bout here before. Duh ain’t waiting; it look tuh me like dem in a big-able hurry tuh grow up and duh ain’t got nuh time tuh waste.
Now talking ’bout the changing times: I ain’t know if it dawn on ya’ all how short the days is now. Nuh wonder people running around and getting on like duh catching at evahthing. The days short and it look tuh me dat because o’ dat the sun is compact in tuh the shorter hours and is even more intense. All the weather patterns have changed.
People have changed, especially women who used tuh be nice and warm towards one another – duh now hard and cruel at times. Especially if you as another woman have tuh go before dem fuh any kind o’ outstanding monies dat you falling a li’l behind in. Oh Lord, duh does make you feel small and treat you like you committed the unpardonable sin. Ya would nevah think dat some o’ dem could be in the same boat as you but because of their position some o’ dem does look down at ya.
Schools have changed. Teachers have changed towards their students and children have changed toward the teachers who they are supposed tuh learn something from. It ain’t dat ya doan want tuh see changes because some changes are for good but most, if not all o’ the changes ya seeing nowadays seem tuh be on the negative side and dat is not good–actually, it is sad.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.