Dear Mr Editor:
Open Your Hearts
Some 25 years ago I first “discovered” Anguilla. Fourteen years ago I came to live here full time. And today I am a citizen. Over the years the island has gone from being a favored vacation spot to my place of residence to my home. When I meet visitors to the island, they frequently remark, “You are so lucky! You live in paradise!” Indeed I am lucky. Anguilla is a very special place. But no place is perfect and no place is paradise.
As tourists and newcomers to Anguilla, we generally have a limited exposure and experiences that imply that there are no problems here. Most visitors go from their resort or villa to the beach, for some sun and rum punches, then back to their rooms for a quick nap before dinner, maybe followed by some nightlife, and eventually return to their beds for a good night’s rest. Few visitors really explore the island and become acquainted with the people other than the folks they meet in the hospitality industry. But overall the perception is of happiness, peace and tranquility. Everyone thinks the stray goats are adorable. And folks often ask about the care that the dogs receive on island. But what about the people?
I can still recall when I first arrived in Anguilla. It did seem like a perfect paradise. There was little traffic, no traffic lights, no youth violence, and crime was seemingly nonexistent. But what struck me most was the seeming lack of social problems. I can recall commenting to an Anguillian: “It seems you have no problems with alcoholism. There are very few physically disabled adults. I never see a blind person or someone in a wheelchair. I see no developmentally challenged children. Where are the elderly?” He smiled and said: “We have our share.” But where were they? “We keep them at home.” So for visitors to the island, the needy are out of sight and thus largely out of mind.
Only of late are the issues of those less fortunate becoming more visible through the outreach of facilities like the Hope Center and food drives in the grocery stores. In the June 20, 2014 edition of The Anguillian, on page 12 was a photo feature of Governor Christina Scott celebrating the Queen’s Birthday not by inviting the fortunate few for a cocktail party, but by carrying the Queen’s birthday cake and good wishes to Anguilla’s less fortunate at Miriam Gumbs Senior Citizens Home, Rosewood Centre, Just Tender Care, Tender Loving Care, WISE Campus and the Blossom Center. Perhaps visitors need to look at the island and our people with a new set of eyes.
When you are touring Anguilla look for these facilities and when you see the signs for these centers consider the residents therein, who cannot care for themselves, and the selfless staff members who work so hard with so little. These facilities and their residents and staff survive on far less than we take for granted. They may not feel like they are living in paradise.
Many visitors enthusiastically support the Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation (AARF). Those stray dogs are visible and in need of care so checks are written, strays are adopted and pets are transported back to the U.S. or Canada. It is an important contribution and a charitable thing to do. Don’t stop! But remember too that there are other places where your support is needed and would be appreciated. Consider the island’s youth athletic programs, look for those facilities that provide care to special needs children and the elderly. Imagine if that was your grandmother, your child, your sister. Open your hearts and your wallets to the less visible needs of Anguilla. Help her special people better enjoy life in paradise.
Michael Paul, DVM
