Notes from a small island
A weblog by Jonathan Ali


Friday, July 04, 2003  

Over at the West Indies Cricket blog, Ryan Naraine has responded to my first post from Thursday, where I aired some general thoughts on my blog.

Ryan thinks he senses a note of apathy in my tone. It isn't apathy at all, nor is it his kissing cousin, cynicism. What does tend to get to me from time to time (and what I think Ryan really meant) is a sense of frustration, that invites a feeling of futility. Not in any grand existential sense - days are for living in, etc. - but in specific relation to our Caribbean reality. Anyone who gives a damn must feel it from time to time; and perhaps those who are in the day to day reality feel it more often (though I wouldn't say any more acutely) than those who aren't.

Yes, I agree that small positive acts like this blog can make a difference. If nothing else, and quite apart from the selfish reasons that partly informed my decision to blog, it has been wonderful to exchange ideas and information and to forge new acquaintances and links with similar-minded persons, such as Ryan. I thank him for that (as I thank those others whose blogs I visit and who frequent this blog).

As for Ryan's belief that we no longer tolerate mediocrity and are beginning to demand more from our leaders, I'm still pretty sceptical, especially when I consider the day to day reality that exists in Trinidad. Thinking, as many do, that it could be worse is more than unhelpful; once you say that, you invite things to become worse, and then they do.

But I'm here, and there's no doubting or escaping the work that has to be done, with all the joys and frustrations that come with it. Really thinking about it, I can't imagine it any other way.




posted by Jonathan | 8:51 AM 0 comments

0 Comments:

save boissiere house
archives
links
Bina Shah
Nicholas Laughlin
Caribbean Free Radio
Antilles
StudioFilmClub
Global Voices
Jessie Girl
Club Soda and Salt
Caribbean Cricket
Seldo
Titilayo
Jai Arjun Singh
email me