Some where in the Bible is the story of ah lickle boy name Joash who was made king at age seven. Two other youths Manasseh, age twelve and Josiah eight became king also. But Joash was somewhat different; he was brought up in the Temple where he spent the first seven years of his life. In those days the king was the man in charge, he was like the P.M. {{more}}The church however, had ah powerful influence on who was to be anointed king, and Joash had as his chief adviser the High Priest. He was noted fuh revising the Jewish Religion and rebuilding the Temple of God. He had ah good reign up until the High Priest died, then he turn wicked and started to worship Baal and other idols. He ruled fuh forty years before he was assassinated.

So why am I talking bout Joash ah lickle seven year ole boy in these times. Well the news is that Sir John Compton is officially back in polly-ticks. Our own Sir James is back on the rostrum. These men are in their late seventies, and both have served as Prime Minister fuh many years it meks me wonder. There is no way that yuh will ever see ah seven year ole youth as head ah any country. We continue to look up to people with ah long list ah letters to dey name, some claiming more brilliance than some, and some claiming more cents than some. In Sin Lucia the slogan will be on age and experience. In my books the age, the experience, the brilliance and the cents ain’t matter no more, what we need to search fuh, is ah leader with the innocence and obedience of ah seven year ole Josiah to run things. We still need leaders who will seek and consult before and not after.

Ah wonder how far does Isiah’s words go when he predicted that all the wild beasts and animals mek peace among themselves, they will be so tame and obedient that ah lickle child will be able to lead them. Maybe we need to tek the lead in front ah the wild beasts and animals and stop the greed fuh Power and money, the envy and spite, and mek peace among ourselves, so that we could be led by ah great leader with the qualities of ah Isiah’s child.



DE MESSAGE OR DE MESSENGER

Yuh ever hear the story ‘bout this powerful nation with ah ruler who had plans of conquering every other nation in his path. He took control of all of the bigger and more powerful Armies first, and with only ah few pockets ah resistance left, he decided that he could go home ahead ah the Army and break the good news that the Battle is won, they could start the celebration. But no sooner that he announced that the War was complete except for ah few insignificant Rebels holding out, that he had put everything in place, the troops had already besieged the enemy’s camps and it was only ah matter ah days and their boys would be home; up came ah messenger with breaking news: “The Army was defeated”! Now this was ah soldier who was at the battle front, who beer-ly managed to escape, he was there, he see it, he feel it and he know it, he was telling the Truth. But he made one mistake. He released the News on the street and not to the Leader in secrecy. By the time the Leader got this piece ah bad news, it had already spread all over, and people began to panic, can yuh imagine that the most powerful nation was defeated by ah couple ill-equipped rebel soldiers. “That’s impossible”! the King said, “that soldier is Mischievous! ah Liar! Destroy that messenger! Kill the messenger”!

Well ah notice that my dear wife who is ah teacher at ah Government Assisted School, turn Messenger and wrote ah letter to the Press concerning five months outstanding salaries fuh two teachers at her school. This letter has caused Pandora’s Box to open foh itself. George Thomas before he died always uses to warn me “Whatever yuh write tell the truth”! The Messenger who reported the Army’s defeat was telling the Truth and the Messenger who said that he co-workers did not receive salaries fuh the school year that started in September telling the Truth too! Remember that ah thousand Lies can’t cover the Truth! We will suck salt if we have to but “This is one Messenger they can’t destroy”!

THANK YOU TANTY BERYL

The Music Festival is back, many thanks to the SVG Music Association. This august body is now in its sixtieth year and has produced our Music Festivals foh 49 years. They got very lickle appreciation fuh their hard wuk, in fact they got more criticism than anything else. So seven years ago, they went on ah Sabbatical that lasted fuh as many years. No Music Festival. It is out of an abundance of love foh country in particular the youths that the same set ah people who been around fuh 60 years, brought back the Festival. The Association is led by the beautiful, the charming, the graceful Beryl “Tanty Beryl” Richards. She has been around from day one, and looking as youthful and radiant as ever. The committee is now refurbished with ah number of youths.

But the Festival is going real good. Ah think ah would have seen ah good many ah them adjudicators, all kind, good, very good, hard markers but never ah bad one. However Mrs Joslynne Sealey who adjudicating this time is by far the most Progressive. She fully understands what this is all about, way we in SVG dey in music, way we need to go and what we need to do in order to get there. She is fair in her comments, excellent in her analysis, good humour, but most of all she sees an element of good in ah bad performance, inspiring, very important. Every contestant Gold, Silver or Bronze, is encouraged and made to feel that s/he has potential that can take them to higher highs. And of course her background says it all, she is from T’n’T, into Pan and Kaiso in ah big way from performing to judging at the Privy Council Level in Music. Thank yuh too Mrs Sealey!

Ah was telling Lie-Za that was only when they Musical Festival was discontinued that ah did miss it, which confirms that “Yuh never miss de Water till de Well run Dry”. “ Miss de Well”? She said, ‘according to my experiences”, she cont’d, “ yuh never miss the Water till CWSA cut yuh off”!

And with that ah gone again.

By the way, Ole George and Joel Butler aint got to worry. Any time Guinness publish ah walkers record it cannot be less than six days. Congrats fellars.

One Love Bassy