Over the past few years we have seen many of Anguilla’s ‘Greats’ complete their earthly sojourn. On the occasions where we say our final farewell, we have invariably celebrated these persons’ lives in a manner that highlights all their many achievements. Our commendations for the exemplary lives of our dearly departed are quite resounding. On these occasions I have, however, almost always been struck by the significant difference between the observations made at the celebration of the deceased’s life and the comments made in reference to that person during his or her lifetime.
On the occasion of the celebration of a person’s life, when he or she is no longer able to appreciate that he or she was held in such high esteem, we glorify him or her. While he or she was with us and wholly capable of appreciating such sentiments, many of us saw fit instead to vilify him or her. What is particularly stark on many occasions is that the same persons who vilified our fallen brother or sister in life, is heard on the occasion of his or her departure from this world glorifying them.
Is it that we only truly realise the value of a person when he or she is no longer with us? Or is it that we are so blinded by our desire to get ahead that we cannot recognise and highlight the value of another, lest he be preferred to us? Is this why, many of us will only speak of people’s virtues when they are no longer able to compete with us in this game of life and are, therefore, no longer seen as a threat? Whatever the reasons, we must try to move beyond them and to instead identify and glorify each other’s values, while we dwell together on this earth.
There is room for all of us to succeed in Anguilla, and in the world, without seeking to diminish each other. A well-known African Proverb states that “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In Anguilla, it often seems that as individuals we want to get ahead fast, and in so doing we are happy to not just leave everybody else behind, but to create a landscape that will ensure that they have more obstacles than necessary to overcome. Some persons comment that we have not come far after Anguilla’s Revolution of 1967. While this is not necessarily accurate, it is no secret that Anguilla still has a great distance to go on its path to sustainable development. We either have failed to realise that to go the necessary distance we must act as a cohesive unit, or what is worse is that we may have realised the need to function as a cohesive unit but our individual selfishness drives us to want to outdistance our family members, colleagues and countrymen, irrespective of the damage caused to them and ultimately Anguilla.
This issue is one which can only be fixed by each of us as individuals. Will we revisit our words and actions so as to ensure that we build each other up in life, rather than tear each other down?
The attitudes described above are not exclusive to our relationships with our fellow human beings but are also very prevalent in relation to institutions. Our willingness to denounce entire systems and institutions, in order to advance one’s own agenda is destructive and regressive. The African proverb quoted above is just as instructive in relation to the building of systems and institutions. To go far persons must work together to develop systems and institutions, rather than seek individual recognition by tearing down existing systems and institutions.
Anguilla has a long way to go along its developmental path. Together we can successfully navigate that path and ensure that we all see and enjoy the benefits that await us at the end of that path. Let us glorify the values and strengths we see in each other and in our systems and institutions, while they are still with us, and in so doing we can together build on those strengths and values, thereby ensuring the sustainable long-term development of Anguilla.
Through both words and actions, we must build each other up rather than tear each other down.
