Void of humility and class

Bad things help yuh to remember good things and Vie-see Verse-saw. Back in 1989, ah visited de SVG Mission in New York.Needless to say, ah was given ah VIP welcome by Head of Mission James Pompey, ah former PS and Cabinet Secretary at home; his deputy, Myron Dellimore ah former CPO, Cosmos Cozier, ah former District Officer Grenadines, was on vacation. Dat small cadre of officers represented de epitome of efficiency, humility and class, de “Best of SVG” in Public Service and Administration. Those were de days when de criteria was about qualification; experience; ability and de greatest of dem all, “Humility and Behave-yah!” Nobody would deny dat under de ULP we have had ah full share of negative exposure wid our Dip-low-mats and officers in our Missions, who ain’t fighting in de office, fighting at home, getting into scuffles wid de law; who ain’t travel wid drugs, drugling wid travel documents, de list goes on. Ah bunch ah “not ready yet!”

Poor Seon, his plate full and running over, so ah not beating up on him, except to say ah hope he humble himself! But dat Lie-Za itching me to say, dat dey say de wife got ah punch in she mouth, same time de dog de Vincy girl was taking foh exercise, started to bark and alerted de NYPD. What ah mess!

Is no big deal here at home when ah Big Man beat up he wife, she gets ah Black Eye or ah Buss Mouth. Her pride refuses to let her take appropriate act-shun. Too ashamed to go to de Police, because de last time, she asked to have de matter discontinued. So dat goes down as ah private matter, another husband and wife affair. And it happens again and again.

Aesop, in one of his fables, tells about ah cat dat was taught table manners, how to sit upright, use de knife and fork, use de soup and desert spoons. De progress was remarkable and de near-bars were invited to witness ah demonstration on Cat Etiquette. Yuh should ah see Pussy, dressed in tuxedo, bow tie, white shirt, black jacket. De invited guests couldn’t believe dey eyes, Pussy Cat using spoon drinking soup, knife in right hand and fork in left, whatever. All of ah sudden, one ah de near-bar’s kid who had walked wid her “pet mouse” decided to do her thing too, she set her “lickle micey” free to run on de table. When de Pussy Cat realize it was ah real Mouse, he pounced on de Mouse, plates and spoons scattered all over. “To hell wid knife and fork and steak,” said Pussy, “dis is ah Rat, organic meat!” It’s all in de nature of de Cat!

HUMBLE ALL YUH SELF FELLARS

Dis country has been blessed wid great Awe-position leaders. Men endowed wid humility, loyalty and selflessness. Dr. Ken John referred to Sir-Vin-Sin as de Prime Minister who never was. Sir-Vin-Sin was called all kind ah names including “Coconut Bat”, but when it came down to party and country, he stepped aside and gave PM Gone Soft his only chance to become Pry-minister. When Arm-In was Prime Minister in waiting, he got wind dat his colleagues grumbling dat he should step down as Awe-position Leader, he gracefully bowed out, but remains loyal to de party and his successor Dr Friday, whose humility is spreading like wild fire!.

Power and greatness germinating in de NDP ‘high-rocky’ dat will send de ULP wid ah clean sweep. Lie-Za inviting de disgruntled and self-praisers of de party’s high-rocky, to study de reply Jesus gave his disciples: “The greatest among you will be your servant! Those who exalt demselves will be humbled, and those who humble demselves will be exalted.” And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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