Friday, March 29, 2024

Good going, Grenada

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Boy, I gine tell ya, whenevah ya get all stressed out and start tuh worry ’bout the many negative things that ya see and hear happening evah single day, up comes something that brings some joy tuh ya heart; something dat does make ya smile; something tuh remind you dat evahthing is still intact; dat tells you life is still worth living and the world is still a beautiful place.
Now, last week I write ’bout a whole lot o’ negative things that happening and still happening all like now so. But dis week come and along wid it the cheers, the shouts, the expectations, the exhilaration, the anticipation, the competition, the blood, sweat and tears, the camaraderie and the joy of the World Athletic Championships in Korea.
I doan know how some people doan like sports, hear?
Leh me tell you something: there ain’t nothing dat does bring me more happiness and make tears come tuh my eyes than when I see young people pushing demselves tuh the limit in any kinda sporting event.
Look, I does be encouraging dem tuh try harder. I does be there wid dem all the way tuh the end, like I was wid the 18-year-old Grenadian sprinter Kirani James.
The first time I saw this simple-looking young fellow was when the athletes were lining up fuh the first semi-finals race. But when I notice dat he was wearing Grenada pon he shirt,
I drop evahthing, stop looking at anybody else and focused my whole attention pon Kirani as he is one o’ we, boh.
Me and one o’ my sisters was watching it and commenting pon how simple and innocent he looked, and wondering if he could tek down the big boys.
 
Breezing past
Next thing the gun went off and he tek off like a bullet, and before ya could say Jack Robinson, Kirani was breezing past the finish line, looking like nutten ain’t happen and he now ready tuh run. The man ain’t look like he break a sweat, just walking and looking around like nutten ain’t happen.
But it was at the finals dat my heart was in my mout. All I kept seeing was two young men in yellow, red and green vests wid the word Grenada big and bold written across the front. All I was saying was, “Kirani, boy, you bringing home this bacon today”, so much so dat my two grandsons keep asking me if I know him.
Then from the time the gun went off, the only thing dat was coming outta my mout and at the top o’ my voice was, “Run, James, run; we going fuh the gold.” And dat is exactly what we got . . . gold.
By the time this column comes out, Kirani will be 19 – though he ain’t look nuh older than 16. He got talent and a great future ahead of him as long as he keeps his head on and do and eat the right things.
When evahthing was over and the commentators stop shouting, my mind went tuh the Grenadians and how dem must be feeling. I had tuh say dat if Grenadians are anything like Bajans, I know dat evah man jack would be glued tuh a television set somewhere. Wuk would be shut down while dat race was going on, and when Kirani stretch out he neck and fly past the American at the finish, ya would hear the roar all the way up in Korea.
Congrats, Kirani! Congrats, Grenada!
Mess up heself
Of course, de big news was how Usain Bolt mess up heself by flying out tuh de blocks too early. Dat was a ting ’cause he doan normally be fast in his start. Dat mussee happen because he was planning to fly down dah track faster than a bullet and break he own record. Dat was too sad to see.
But as de old people would say, sometimes dese tings does happen fuh a reason, ’cause if Bolt was there the other Jamaican fellow, Yohan Blake, woulda never been able to win. If you see how dat boy holler when he win, you could see he was real, real happy.
It is a pity we in Bim don’t have so many good athletes.
We need tuh take a leaf outta Jamaica’s book so dat instead o’ just depending pon one athlete all the time tuh be outstanding, we would have a good few different disciplines tuh represent we.
We now got Rihanna selling we pon the international entertainment scene. Why we Government cahn see dat instead o’ spending all o’ dem millions o’ dollars only on advertisements overseas we could pour some into these talented young people who does be breaking all kinds o’ records at the Carifta Games and the Commonwealth Games and get dem tuh the international level like Jamaica?
Wha’ ya ain’t want better advertising than sports. It is also another way fuh young people, especially men, tuh use up all o’ dat energy.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in the Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.

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