Be inspired

Dr Jules Ferdinand will forgive me if ah write just ah lickle piece on his book, “Be Inspired”, he must give way to Mr Inspiration himself, President Obama. But it is not eye-run-ache dat Jules, de man who has been an Inspiration to so many people in particular students, delivering lectures all over de Caribbean, writing hundreds ah articles, feature addresses, should chose to write ah book dat will inspire us to de real purpose of living. Ah bought one of de books at de launch, in fact ah picked up two, yes, ah plan to read de Book ah second time. Sobrina, his lickle 12 year ole daughter spoke at de launch and recommend dat we read “Buffalo Soldier”.{{more}} Jules recommended, “Why ground dove don’t build good nest”, ah read dem both, but none is as inspiring as “Kindness Pays”, bout de poor hungry kid who begged foh ah drink ah water, instead he was given ah glass ah milk by de kind lady, no doubt she saved his life. But he grew to become ah doctor and later attended to her at de Hospital, she didn’t recognize him, until she got de hellavah medical bill, “Amount paid in full, one glass of milk”! Quite an Inspiring Book Dr Ferdinand.

AH COULD AH DANCE ALL NIGHT

Talking bout Inspiration, well me belly full. First ah got to big-up GHS Headmistress, Andrea Bowman foh putting SVG on CNN at de right time foh de right reasons. De name Stephenson Wallace was mentioned as sending de clip, and ah believe SVG TV might have had some involvement, whatever, ah was watching CNN “Situation Room” covering reactions to President Obama’s inauguration from countries around de world, alas or is it “lo and behold” big and bold on de screen, who should pop up but de students of GHS as lively as ever, screaming “Obama! Obama!” while dey were watching de proceedings live. De clip was only 10 seconds, spoke highly of Obama’s popularity among de kids and de people of SVG. Too short, but whatever lickle was reported could only help restore SVG’s image internationally. When yuh consider de last time SVG was on de CNN news flash was wid de alleged rape involving de PM, so dis lickle positive publicity is ah blessing.

And if yuh ain’t tink dat is reason to Be Inspired, hear dis. Same time de lickle GHS/SVG clipping was showing, one ah me faithful buddies from de village, Arnett “Bullet” Edwards called from de US to tell me to switch to CNN to see SVG meking it big on de news. “Boy I fell so proud,” he said, “sitting here watching CNN highlighting dem High School girls, screaming like American kids foh Obama at de swearing in ceremony, ah feel to scream too, and to tink SVG is de only Caribbean country to mek it,” he concluded.

Well it was de opposite foh me, tears ran down my soft face. Just watching dis “Lickle Black Boy” waiting in de corridor to be announced, even in his greatest moment he remained de essence, de he-pity-me ah humility. From Day-One, four years ago, Obama was my choice foh President, in fact de Obama family is an inspiration, de girls are adorable and Michelle, wow! ah does swell when people say to me “I tink your wife looks like Michelle Obama”. Ah fraid to tell she dat, it might just get to her, next ting she might want me to run foh president of de new Republic of SVG, so she’ll be first lady too. Seriously though de First Family is foh real, everyting bout Barrack and Michelle is real, de way dey touch, hug or place ah gentle kiss on each other is genuine affection, no putting-on, dat like it does happen regularly.

Ah set up all night watching dem dance, at one time ah was so jealous, ah thought of waking up me wife and tell she “ ley we dance”, instantly my better judgement put dat thought to rest, ah know she would ah handed me de broom, not before de lash! So like ah witch, ah danced by me-self wid de broom. Michelle is ah graceful dancer, tink ah will get Nina Maloney and Jus Edwards to give Bro Bama some lessons on de slow pieces like de Foxtrot, but he safe wid de young people ting, boogie down stuff.

Man ah sat glued to my TV foh four hours on Chose-dey, ah overheard my wife telling somebuddy on de phone dat when she got home, she checked de cushion dat ah was stuck into, and it was as hot as fire! Ah mek sure and listened carefully to every word ah dat Inaugural speech. Obama started out wid “I stand here today…” and in dat same sentence he said “ I thank President Bush…”. Lower down in de speech he mentioned de pronoun “I” again foh de third and last time. He spoke foh 18 minutes and used de pronoun “I” three times, but wreak havoc wid de pronouns We, Us, Our, Ours, Ourselves, 145 times, what Greatness and Nobility. Clearly Obama’s obsession is not about himself, Me, I Mr President, de power house, no! He simply wants to be given ah chance to inspire de nation, de We’s, Us Ours to do tings differently, people from across party line wuking together to lead de world again. Ah not talking bout Together Now, dat was de biggest trick in de pull-it-tek-all his-story book. Never has dis country been so divided with bitterness. If ULP does not change dey style, dey will leave dis country ah legacy of pull-it-tek-all victim-I-say-shun, hatred and spite. Ah know what ah saying.

So dis is why Obama has to be my President. It will help if we all pray foh Obama, remember de US Sneeze we freeze wid cold, nah forget to mention our Prime Minister in our prayers too. And wid dat, is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.