Flickr - Alfred Wade
I am in deep thought about what Dutch born organizational sociologist, G. Hofstede suggests. He implies that culture manifests itself in for forms symbols, heroes, rituals and values. In my everyday reality a part of this means that certain objects can have a particular meaning to an individual. At this moment I am glancing at the poppy I purchased for Remembrance Day as it lies on my book shelf with such symbolic potency.
I recall being in primary (elementary) school and paying ten cents for a poppy, now I pay one dollar but I guess it equals the standard of living in real goods. Back then we had two options a poppy with a pin and the other with the green stem which cost slightly more. Of course I always preferred the one with the green stem it was slightly bigger and more appealing, as it was versatile; a girl could wear it in her hair and not worry about being pricked. For me as a girl or even as a young adult Remembrance Day was associated with impressive ceremonies, the moving sounding of the Last Post.
War to me as a primary school student was just a casual thought of fallen soldiers pushed to the forefront just for a day. The evanescent image of War perhaps comes from a weak sense of history. As I got older and studied Global Economics the War took on more significance. I learned about the Bretton Woods Agreement, the Gold standard etc. and many more developments which arose out of war. I never knew my grandfathers part in the War until his death. He did not speak about that part of his life. When the guns were fired at his military funeral the thought of fighting in war took on more significance.
I have been conducting a research on my family tree and I came across a very close relative. The photograph revealed that he was a soldier of war buried in England. Growing up his siblings never talked about him in reference to the war just that he died. Maybe I was too young to understand. It was not until this Remembrance Day when Montserrat remembered the fallen soldiers and the names were revealed on the newly constructed cenotaph I realized that the same relative was the said soldier buried in England. Yes World II has a new face this year as it has captured my attention with immediate importance.
The rituals of Remembrance Day 2010 has come and gone but it has left an affecting memory. So as we continue to call to mind the heroes and my very own relative Alfred Wade, who fought. We also remember those who have died in the two World Wars and other conflicts. Let us remember the supreme sacrifice that they made so we may value life, live freely and enjoy the way we now live. I should mention that G. Hofstede went on to suggest that each person has within themselves several layers of culture which may be conflicting. I am finding out more and more about myself as time passes and my layers of culture are revealed to me through history. What about your life have you recently discovered and how has the past influenced your present day reality.
Photographed by the Associated Press
The events that unfold yesterday in The United Kingdom can not escape my blog posts and have left an indelible print as the word dignity is etched in my mind. I am still taken aback about the dignified manner in which Gordon Brown the former British Prime Minister left number 10 Downing Street yesterday. These days we are bombarded by Leaders refusing to step down or refusing to accept the fact that they have lost in the polls or it is time to retire. Yes the constitution in Westminster may have dictated his actions or his impudent bid for power may have failed, nonetheless he faced his challenges and he conceded. The people have spoken, he listened and he did not stand on his dignity, he left. If someone says that you are a person of dignity it speaks volumes to your character. I hope we all can learn from his example no matter our situation. I wish him well!
Completely restored
Composition reflects
Translated through fields
Of passionate beliefs
Collecting on creating
Prodding to emerge
Empowered, motivated
New connections and insights
Pavilion with honor
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Poem Written by Brenda L. McCartney
Have you ever looked at an elderly person’s face and it seemed to express and capture something from the soul? Looking at the picture above, a lady is wearing a scarf on her head. It is almost as if the way she wears the covering on her head is representative of her resilience. According to the Oxford reference dictionary elderly is defines as “somewhat old, a person pass middle age.”
The elderly often have an intensity on their face that transports you into their world. To me it as if I would like to sit and relax as they recollect on their childhood memories and reveal their stories of survival, Compatriot Journalist Rose Willock once said “the elderly tells us how to get on with and deal with adversities [of life and] teaches us to celebrate what is good and true about us a people” For me the elderly represent refinement and are crucibles of our past.
Painted washes
Close up
Far off
Strong Bold
The images; life and work
Illuminates like a red light bulb
Scaled up
A chronicled history
Woven into my world
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Poem Written by Brenda L. McCartney
Photographed by Susan Koster
Have you ever looked at an elderly person’s face and it seemed to express and capture something from your soul? Looking at the picture above, a lady is wearing a scarf on her head. It is almost as if the way she wears the covering on her head is representative of her resilience. According to the Oxford reference dictionary elderly is defined as “somewhat old, a person pass middle age.”
The elderly often have an intensity on their face that transports you into their world. To me it is as if I would like to sit and relax as they recollect their childhood memories and reveal their stories of survival. Compatriot Journalist Rose Willock once said “the elderly tells us how to get on with and deal with adversities [of life and] teaches us to celebrate what is good and true about us a people.” For me the elderly represent refinement and are crucibles of our past.
Painted washes
Close up
Far off
Gives certain poise
Strong, Bold
The images; life and work
Illuminates like a red light bulb
Scaled up
A chronicled history
Woven into my world
-
Poem by Brenda L. McCartney
Photographed by Susan Koster
There is a slogan that says “…the island of The Bahamas keep getting better.” When I first heard this phrase I sucked my teeth (kissed my teeth) because naturally I experienced only New Providence and Paradise Island and what other Bahamian island or Cay (pronounced key) can compare. As child I walked to church, as I grew older I rode on a motorcycle to church then I drove to church. As I got older still I never knew it was quite possible to take a boat to church, but I did. Sunday past I took a chartered plane to a remote Island for church.
This island is considered unspoiled but it secrets are not so hidden since I was told one of the world’s richest men, ranked number 10, has a vacation home there; which was nice but completely accessible. Then there is the Montana Project that some investor had the brilliant idea to build but limited financial resources to see it through completion. There were some striking facts about this island; on our drive into the Cay I counted three churches. A third of the island’s population was at the church I attended on Sunday morning. The Police Station was closed. On the door of the Police Station was written “Police Emergency numbers day and night…” The eldest person who resides on the island is 90 plus and was out of town on business. To experience a 360 degree view of the island the look out point rested on top of a house; the inscription written on the said building reads it was once the home of kindly pirates.
Indeed, the islands of The Bahamas, no matter how small, keep getting better. Even my two year old commented “Mama and Daddy it was a good trip!”
Did I forget to mention that, the Christopher Columbus landed on this Cay (Rum Cay); on his second stop in the New World?
Photographed by Brenda L. McCartney
According to the Oxford dictionary history is defined as a continuous, usually chronological record of important or public events.
I visited Cat Island a few weeks ago and am still drawn back to the recent experience I had. Cat Island is one of the island of Bahamas 700 islands and Cays. The highest hill in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas of 206 feet can be found on this island. History records Columbus landfall in the Bahamas was in San Salvador. I learned that the island now called Cat Island was so named in the twenty first century; Cat island was called Guanima, Columba or San Salvador
We spent the day with a group of teenagers. A teenage girl who travelled with us was born in Cat Island recounted her grandmother’s stories who is now 96 and has never left Cat Island. She said that her Grandmother’s birth certificate states she was born in the district of San Salvador. The Cat Islanders further highlighted that the description of San Salvador that Columbus gave was characteristically that of Cat Island. I have never been to the island that is now called San Salvador but I plan to visit the island to get a firsthand glimpse of its geographical layout of the rolling hills.
I smiled hearing the natives claim but can it be that history sometimes can be defined as someone’s view point verified by others documented for posterity.
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