Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 2:02 PM
For a small country with a population of approximately 400,000 people, we have been blessed with such a varied and colorful mixture of different races! I understand that the United States is the greatest melting pot in the world; but for me, the Jewel, and especially in this part of the world, is second! We have welcomed visitors, refugees, tourists, ne’er-do-wells, pirates and folks looking for a new path, to this precious land of opportunity! The same can be said for America, although the door keeps closing ever so slightly because of a thing called xenophobia.
I want to be positive, to try and lift spirits up, if I’m able to. We are always complaining about the state of the worlds we inhabit. There will always be negativity and darkness and evil hovering about us. But now and again we have to pull the heavy curtain of uncertainty wide open, and see and feel the goodness that still exists in our minds and hearts and in our neighbors, and in society as a whole!
Yes, there is inequality, there is poverty and racism and violence and hate, and this darkness pervades throughout the environments that we live in. But we cannot allow ourselves to exist in this maze of misery; we have to find the light. Yes, we should always fight for the right things, but sometimes we lose ourselves in those battles; we forget that life is a battle for balance. There will always be winners and losers; it’s mostly up to us to decide what direction we should choose, mostly!
The reason why I brought up the subject of this tapestry in Belize, is because it has flourished for decades. We have learned to live and accept the different cultures that have decided to make the Jewel their home, not a waiting station to migrate to the greater tapestry of Uncle Sam, but to live and thrive and assimilate with the citizens of this special place! Where politics and religion and society in general, reflect the results of this amalgamation! It is indeed a beautiful thing!
Our new influx of immigrants consists of Europeans and South Americans, Africans, Haitians, and others from the Caribbean—very diverse groups for such a small country! But we Belizeans are welcoming in assimilating them into our tapestry! Just as we were with the Garinagu, the Mestizo, the Chinese, the Mennonites, the Arabs, the Jews, the East Indians, who have been here, some for over a century! They have added lasting and positive influences and energy to a growing nation!
I just think that in this time of uncertainty all over the world, we have to find that lifeboat to save us from sinking deeper into the mess which is always waiting to drown us, and find the best options to coexist and enjoy one another as human beings. It will never be easy, but it’s up to us to respect each other. A tapestry is a wonderful gift, in my opinion. As we weave this miracle in Belize, we must never lose sight of ourselves, our identities, to anyone; but we must learn to live and love and respect each other, and always be secure in our own skins!
We are anchored, for the most part. We are lucky to live and thrive in the Jewel. Without this tapestry, I believe we would not be as excited about our future as we are. Not forgetting the ICJ, we have to have that hope and optimism that should be reflected and realized in this wonderful mixture, this gumbo of races and cultures and new beginnings! Wat a ting!
This might seem all altruistic and ting, but one can dream, no?
Glen