What would Jesus say?

It is Christmas again. Never mind ah not feeling it yet. De Christmas lights on de stores and buildings in town dat usually help to lift de spirit are conspicuously absent.

Ah passed thru town Monday night, and no more dan four store plus CWSA compound dat looks good, were lit. Wow, it’s not like Christmas any more. Apart from Sunday when town was block-up wid shoppers, there is ah noticeably decline in de usual busy shopping during de week. Middle Street dat is always ram-jam wid vendors and shoppers and impassable foh pedestrians is slow.{{more}}

Ah hope foh de vendors’ sake and de economy, dat things change after today, Wednesday.

But Christmas is more dan de material side, and our Governor General in his Christmas message ask ah biting question: “What will Jesus say or do if he drops in foh de Season”? He wont be looking foh lights and decorations on de houses, or gifts under de Christmas tree. He not going to taste de Ham either. Member he is Jew. Jews don’t eat pork. Ah didn’t say 7th Day; ah not too certain He will sample our wine either, even though He made de very best brand at ah wedding. If He passes by, my TV will be on de Christian Channels 24 and 25. And ah not letting him open my fridge either. Ah done know when He see me fridge full up wid de ham, de chicken, drinks etc, He go ask de question; “ did yuh, by your donation to charity, made it possible foh de poor, needy and less fortunate among us to receive ah gift or food package, how much did yuh give”?

I think of de many Organizations wid faithful members who look out foh our less fortunate brothers and sisters dis time ah year, De members ah de Inner Wheel who foh years have brought cheers to the patients on the Children’s Ward at Milton Cato Hospital. During de kiddies party on Tuesday, ah young lady showed up unannounced wid ah bag ah toys dat she purchased from her salary, all wrapped to deliver herself to de children. When ah investigated ah was told dat she’s Rochelle Murray who started to work in July. No doubt dis might be her first Christmas wid ah wuk. One thing is certain Rochelle will be able to face Jesus if he passes by.

KARATE IN DE NINE MORNINGS

One ah de more encouraging and inspiring scenes foh dis year’s Nine Mornings Festivity, was watching de youngsters of de Kai and Sugar Mill Academy Karate Clubs from de mainland in ah training camp in Bequia wid dey Karate counterparts from dat island. Dey were up bright and early last Sat-dey morning on Lower Bay beach foh training, exercising, punching and kicking up ah (sand) storm, and den sent swimming in dat crystal water foh ah well deserved wash. Dis is what I call “Wellness Rev-all-yuh-shun in”. And ah want to congratulate Karate Instructors Ivo Providence and Gibson, Mrs Joan Davis de president of de Bequia Club and Dorielle Joseph foh de vision of ah Camp dat would instill positive values into youth-life, ah health and fitness component of Nine Mornings as well as taste ah Camp Life.

Dey also had ah tournament that de Kai Club won. Mention MUST be made of de appearance of de president of de SVG Karate Association Kay Bacchus-Browne, ah Karatica of yesteryear who actually took part in ah session. Yes, she is still fit, ah got ah touch ah de past, but her Gee (uniform) was unused and folded up foh so long dat de seams are now permanent.

Representative foh de area Doc Godwin Friday and wife were present, dey sons participated in de tournament and show promise. Friday was inspired wid what he saw and announced dat he joining de club in January, wid some rigid training and his sons at his side, he wont have to go hunting foh body guards to protect him from getting ruff-up by police de next time he comes up to protest de dollar tax.

My lickle youth man was dey too. He’s very pickey when it comes to food, he was I should say, camping takes care of those things, he’s now on ah see-food diet, eating almost everything in sight. Ah feel obliged to impress on parents of youngsters to join dem up into an organized activity dat will instill and inculcate real values: Cadets, Scouts, Guides, Karate, Tennis any sport dat has structure. Don’t wait till it’s too late, when all fall down like when de horse done bolt thru de stable, to start looking foh remedy. Mek dat yuh resolution foh 2008 “ Join-up yuh kid into ah positive ting”!

SODA WARNING

Nobody stopping me from drinking J-uc and Hairoun soft drinks dis Christmas. Ah read way researchers have found new evidence dat soft sweet drinks sweetened wid High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) may contribute to de development ah Diabetes and obesity, particularly in children. Nearly all imported beverages and juices from de US and abroad are sweetened wid Corn Sugar. Guv-ah-mint just put on ah 5% tax on all manufactured drinks, dis is to support de Wellness Rev-all-yuh-shun in” and health problems like Diabetes and Obesity.

Interestingly de researchers say we must use table sugar (brown and white) to sweeten our drinks, so our Cane Sugar, like our coconut oil, like our farine, like our bananas can hold de own. Ah will exercise regularly and drink Hairoun Mauby and Banana J-uc because dem ain’t sweetened wid Corn Syrup.

AH REAL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

Ah know dat after dis Thursday evening ah will be full ah de Christmas Spirit when ah finish watching de Nativity Program dat is presented biannually by de Baptist Church at Gardens Gate. Ah went to see it two years ago and it is ah master presentation, real animals in de stable, real angels high up on ah scaffold, ah real Joseph wid ah not so real pregnant Mary on ah real donkey journeying to Bethlehem, and to top it off ah real mid-wife too. Last time Doc Sheridan Slater, ah real Gynaecologist was on duty. De kids will love every bit of it.

Last time too, Pastor Frederick and I wanted to steal one ah de real ram sheep, but one ah de organizers, Sleepy Richards who is responsible foh de animals, stopped us. We were told dat dey borrowed de animals; now ah lickle birdie whisper and tell me dat every time dey give Sleepy de animals to take back, de owners does report ah Ram Sheep short! All yuh don’t lie pon Sleepy.

Have ah Blessed Christmas, my buddy Paddy Corea says to wish everybody Happy Christmas, no Happy Holiday, no Seasons Greetings, no Happy Xmas or whatever. And wid dat ah gone again

One Love Bassy.