Accidents in Guyana

It was heart-wrenching to hear yet another accident on the Soesdyke-Linden highway. My heart goes out to the victims’ family who must live in pain and grief. As I try to grapple with the accident, I hear about another accident that took the life of a young boy. It makes me feel sad and upset about these road accidents that could be avoided if only a person can be extra careful because once we are on the wheels we have the responsibility of being twice careful. I am afraid that we are getting used to hear about fatal road accidents for the moment and move on with our lives. The victims add to the number of fatalities in the road accidents. There is a culture of death in this world that is permeating our precious lives. At times it appears life does not matter anymore. I am afraid we have reached a stage where the more we hear, the more we will get used to it. I am advocating the culture of life. We have a responsibility for each other in this world. It is unfair to think that they are not our family or our friends. It is crucial to care for each other on our roads. I believe that we are not only driving our own vehicle but also, we are helping others drive safely. Let us promote a culture of life. Let us employ whatever measures that keep us safe on the road not only for ourselves but for the other road users. Let us not get used culture of death where death is accepted as if life does not matter. 

Tribute to a Cheerful Nun

Words are not enough to express gratitude to Sister Admirabilis Browne who has passed on to her heavenly abode. Sister Admi has left an ineradicable mark in the hearts of so many Guyanese. Likewise, I had the honour of experiencing her pleasant demeanour. We have been touched by sister in exceptional ways. Sister was born in 1924. She went to Sacred Heart School and St. Joseph’s School in Georgetown. Early education in these schools emulated her religious vocation to the Sisters of Mercy. After taking a job for few years, she entered Convent of the Sisters of Mercy in 1947 in Dallas, Pennsylvania.  She pursued an MA in Mathematics from Fordham University. Her contribution towards education and hospital has been outstanding. She was the administrator at Mercy Hospital in Georgetown for several years.   

Sister celebrating her 70th anniversary recalled a simple yet profound experience in Mercy Hospital as a young sister. She was walking down the corridor when a young boy ran up to her called her, “Auntie Jesus, Auntie Jesus.” The boy has been taught to address a woman as Auntie and the boy noticed the cross on sister, hence the boy called her, ‘Auntie Jesus’. This encounter with the boy reminded sister to be like Jesus. Encounters as this will make us truly disciples of Jesus. Through this encounter, Sister encourages us to be close to Jesus even if it seems like He is not close to us, to know that God is doing His own thing to strengthen us. Therefore, do not be discouraged or worry when things are not going right.

 Her cheerfulness and love engulfed with a contagious smile is the hallmark of her life. Anyone who has met sister will never leave without being refreshed with a charming smile. She loved everyone in her own way since she believed in the love of God and love of people. She preached and practised her own saying ‘seeing happiness in others made you happy.’ This charming quality comes from her relationship with God for she articulates, ‘listen to the inner voice of yourself where God speaks.’ Sister encourages us to love Jesus not merely in a distant way but focus on loving those around us and this will have an amazing impact on

us. Her approach towards the young people was to meet them from where they are, although sister belonged to the ‘typewriter’ era. Therefore, she is loved and missed by many young people. I personally admired her for her attentive ear towards my preaching in the Church even though she had wealth of knowledge and spirituality. She has inspired me to remain humble because in humility we praise God. As we celebrate her life in gratitude, we imbibe the qualities of cheerfulness, love, humility and acceptance of a changing world. I conclude with her own motto, “All for Jesus through Mary.” 

Oil in Guyana

Allow me to express my gratitude in disappointment with a few articles and videos on Guyana surfacing online and especially on Social Media. These opinions from outside Guyana are juicy to the readers and viewers. The article in New York Times on Guyana’s oil stirred our guts and few of us had the courtesy to rebut the arguments. Although a few opinions are a matter of concern that we need to address. There are a few videos being circulated on Guyana’s Oil on social media that are damaging the image of our beautiful Guyana. These videos presentations are very interesting but from an outside perspective. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinions. Someone else’s opinions must not derail our belief in ourselves as a strong compact nation. However, there is no harm in discussing other opinions and if they are true, let us utilize them for the betterment of Guyana.

Some persons believe that once you have a pencil you are a writer or once you have a camera, you are a journalist. This is untruly true in this highly social media-driven world. I mean to say, anyone can post anything online and there are always people who buy this with less or no wisdom. That is where we have a problem. Oil is true in Guyana, but it must be a concern for Guyanese and not for others to tell us what we should do or what we will become. We, as Guyanese, must be strong at this time and not give in to external pressure. Whatever people say, we know who we are. Let us stand together as a nation and not as Indo and Afro Guyanese. We are a nation of multiple diversities and let this be our strength during these crucial times. Let us help our leaders, both ruling and opposition to come to the table to guard our wealth and resources. This way, we can truly channel our resources for the betterment of our country. Just ignore anything that is not true and take only what is true. Let us not waste time on ignorance of outsiders rather let us believe in our strength. Our strength is their ignorance.