Land of the rainbow people

THE EDITOR: When did we, the beautiful people of Trinidad and Tobago, become such an uncaring society? Did it creep up on us unawares? Or are we deliberately culturing it? Yesterday an elderly man, a vagrant, lay flat on his back on the pavement, in close proximity to a Ministry building, a police station and a major utility building. This human being appeared to be very ill, unable to move with urine running down the pavement underneath him as he wet and soiled himself. Perhaps he was dying.

So many people passed him with cell phones at their ears and boxes of food in their hands. So many fellow humans looked at him, looked away from him and walked around him. Men, women and children, laymen and professionals walked away without offering service. I am ashamed to say this but even I myself walked around and walked away. But, I felt like such a horrible human being as I walked away that I turned around and came back. I called the EHS and spoke with a very courteous attendant and within minutes a crew was there with policemen to gently and caringly lift this homeless elderly man onto a stretcher and take him away. Bless you all for your gentle caregiving.

I am so ashamed of myself for what I have become. I am ashamed for all of us my goodness what a sick society we have become when human life and dignity mean nothing to us. We have apparently forgotten that we are all one spirit and that collectively, we too experienced what that man felt as he lay helpless on the cold pavement, loneliness, helplessness, sadness?  My people, we need to love each other. We are all one. I learnt a lesson today that I too was well on my way to becoming one of those who are part of the problem in beautiful TT. I made myself a promise today to reverse this trend in myself.  I want to be a part of the solution not the problem. I decided to let love and peace begin with me. Join with me and make a silent and sincere promise to yourself to let love and peace begin with you. Let us love and care for each other. Just as we all collectively experienced the man’s pain, we can all collectively radiate love and peace. It will become easier and easier as more of us join this path and sooner more than later TT will once more become the land of the rainbow people.

S ALI
Curepe