Remembrance WWI and II; Montserrat’s Alfred Wade

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.

The Lord of Beginings

Reaching a milestone is an inspiring time. It unleashes so many emotions. Upon reaching a milestone there is an inner peace that comes from the accomplishment. Things that we often take for granted such as simply breathing become more meaningful. It feels like you are on a cusp of a whole new life. It is a time of the year one look at things (signs, symbols) for a new perspective; it presents an opportunity to be motivated. The days leading up to my birthday one symbol or thing that kept coming into my consciousness was the ELEPHANT.

There are three things that happened that made me think of the fact that knowledge is the beginning of many rewarding experiences. I wanted to watch a movie “Water for Elephants” which I did not get a chance to see in the movie theatre.  Happenstance while waiting in a business office for particular documents I came across Conde Nast Traveler and read an article named “the Lord of Beginnings.”

1. Basically it was a story of a London writer who was at  personal crossroads finds herself scrubbing an elephant and a year later honored the Hindu elephant god Lord Ganesh. Essentially it highlights the importance of Elephant in Hindu religion. No I am not thinking about switching my religion, but in this great sphere of life we can learn something about each other thus respecting one another. However, the interpretation of an elephant according to the article is a remover of obstacles and Lord of Beginnings. The mention of the elephant removing obstacles “clicked” or triggered something within me and  this belief in time will be relevant and will be revealed in varying degrees.
2. So I made it a point to watch the movie Water for Elephants. In the movie what struck me most was not the love story but the fact that the movie featured a young man who was about to complete his Ivy League education. He was about to take his final exam and was interrupted by the news that his parents was tragically killed. My first thought was could they not allow him the time to complete the exam before delivering such news. Left penniless, homeless he went traveling with a circus and used the knowledge he had gained in his apprenticeship programs and acted as an unlicensed veterinarian (Vet).  He was given a second chance by giving the insurmountable task of training and looking after an elephant. When he first met the elephant and touched her first thing he noticed was her dry skin he said “first thing one notices about a women’s age is her skin” The elephant befriended him and played a major part in his freedom. In the end he went back took the exam and got his license as a Vet.
3. In addition, I watched on BBC channel the morning of my birthday. A segment featured a father without any formal education who is barely literate,  spends all his efforts paying for his daughter’s education. His reason for this was money will come and go but your education stays with you always.

These three stories highlight that true talent is a gift that is born within. No matter what obstacles are in your way no one can take that gift of knowledge which has been implanted in your life. We are meant to live freely and life is ours to embrace. In this life we can rely on our conscious state, revelations, religious teachings, rituals, symbols and customs to help us along

I had to prepare my daughter’s back pack from last school year due to the new back pack zipper not working after two days of school. I noticed the ELEPHANT on the bag. It drew me in and he ‘bathed me on the serene immediacy of his pleasure”- in a sense – removing my obstacles.

PS. I wrote this blog on the fifth of September and decided I was not going to publish it on my blog. Coincidentally, while browsing through Time Light box pictures of the week I came across a photograph of a man carrying an idol of Hindu elephant headed god Ganesha for immersing it in the Arabian Sea on the fifth day of the 10 day long Ganesh Chaturti festival in Mumbai, India. The festival celebrates the birth of the Hindu god. I can hear my friend whisper as she reads this post “there are no coincidences”

Trance

Trance

Four forty six in the morning I lay in bed

Turn the sepia album in my head

Its hands clutched around my neck in a pincer grasp

String pearls with titanium clasp

I leapt through your paths

I dodged through your alleys

I ran through the ghauts

Soldier

Runaway

Fort

Even Mefraimie

Luscious imaginings; houses and landscape lay before me

Dizzying chasm in the blistering heat

Hot springs plastered with shale licked my feet

Ochre streams smiled lovingly

Vivid colors captivated me

I retreated to your mountains

Lawyers

Farrells

Galloway’s

Perches and Roaches

Locked in by the vertiginous cliffs

As I melted in your beauty

Delighted in picturesque Plymouth an awesome city

I peaked in at Sturge Park

No urge to stay

Took a ride to Jumbie Dance it is a long way

There I was in a trance

That powerful rhythmic chant

Lost in the rhythm of the dance

My hair stood on end

As they left for Trant’s yard around the bend

Discovered the historical burial ground

A vast archive

Unfold the past live

I mounted Hells Gate

Dizzyingly complex

Leaving those tortured souls behind vexed

-

Poem by Brenda L McCartney from LeAp a collection of poems

Jumbie Table

Every Christmas Eve it is part of our culture in Montserrat to set the jumbie table (jumbie are ghosts). The jumbie table reveals a tradition held by my ancestors many years ago. When Montserratians (people from Montserrat) say jumbie table we are referring to the table set at Christmas Eve with all the food (roast pig, bread, blood pudding, duckna , black cake [fruit cake], pork, chicken, turkey, potato pudding, dasheen, yam, bananas, macaroni cheese, rice and peas, goat water, tart) and drinks; wine and spirits (water, sweet drink[ soda], lemonade, Guinness, Vita malt, brandy, beer, ginger bear, ginger wine, Manischewitz wine and sorrel drink) that we would consume on Christmas Day. Just before the meal on Christmas day the spirits (liquor) is poured into the corner of house around the table for the ancestors.

As I explain the jumbie table I sit here compelled to note this.  I am in a state of disbelief that my mother and my cousins both sixty plus stated they have never seen a jumbie table set by their parents. My cousin, who is my age, exclaimed “how old are you Brenda?” It seems as if anyone younger than my grandparent’s age (eighty plus years) have not shared this experience. Fortunately for me my cousins Grand Aunt is still alive, so she called her right after I spoke to her. She confirmed that I am not hallucinating or having an out of body experience by remembering the details of the jumbie table. I quickly learned that the term jumbie table is an endearing and commonly used expression but many of my generation and my mother’s generation have never seen a jumbie table set.

It is believed when the tradition was abandoned, and the jumbie table not set, the jumbie would come out making noise all night.

For me the jumbie table commands respect, in that it makes us feel pride in our heritage. It does not spell suspicion but admiration for the practices held long ago by our ancestors. I understand that it may be a part of our African heritage to carry out this practice. Our culture is rich in history and traditions and identifies us as a people. The fact that I am in my thirties and have witness the setting of the jumbie table for many Christmas by my grandparents is indeed a compliment and honor.