Dear Nesta,
You awright? I en hear you gone into gardenin’ an’ now startin’ to push up daisies, so you mussee still – like muhself – in de lan’ o’ de livin’!
Young an’ ole alike checkin’ out quick-so dese days.?So we need to keep track o’ we frien’s – an’ foes – whenevah we could, ’cause it is now “hey today, gone today”! De whole worl’ now stressful enuff, an’ Bim en no diff’rent!
It en easy to keep stress outta yuh life, ’specially when de monf-en’ come ‘roun’ (an’ don’ t’ink dat don’ happen fas’!) an’ de never-endin’ bills start pilin’ up! A lot o’ Bajans now findin’ duhself in deep trouble ‘cause dese days, wheyevah yuh turn, yuh could come ’cross somebody tryin’ to keep up wid dah fambly by de name o’ “Jones”! Now dem lifestyle ’way out a lotta people reach, but it don’ stop one soul from tryin’ to keep up, or even pass duh out! An’ dah could gi’e nuff stress!
My nighber tell muh she don’ lissen to de news, neithuh overseas nor local, too depressin’, an’ she en able to stress out sheself! Aldoh I could see she point ‘bout not stressin’ out, I cyahn ‘gree wid de res’! Ef she go on like dat, she won’ got a clue wuh gine on, good or bad, as she head would be bury so deep in de san’, she won’ know when de res’ o’ she body get lick up! Wait, don’ jump ’pon muh, I en talkin’ ’bout shootin’ nobody or crackin’ heads or neffin so – I got mo’ sense dan dat – I referrin’ to hurricanes, we in de season, remember?
Life short, an’ seem to be gettin’ even mo’ short, wid all de crazy, impatient drivers causin’ accidents daily, ’pon de roads! It pay yuh to say couple “Hail Marys” befo’ yuh lef’ home. Just las’ weeken’, a driver crash into a electric pole, smashin’ it in two, an’ puttin’ de whole islan’ in complete darkness fuh near two hours! You cyhan imagine how glad I was to be at home dah whole time, ‘cause in sech cases – a total blackout – anyt’ing coulda happen! Chile, dis en de Buhbayduss you lef’- it change! Progress tek over!
We roads causin’ bare stress – fas’ cars, roarin’ motta cycles, wheelies – an’ it mekkin’ some older drivers t’ink twice ‘bout leffin’ home when de days come! Evahbody doin’ wuh de devil duh like, an’ I feel it is time de aut’orities get in de ack! “Road rage” now tek over, an’ de words “consideration fuh yuh fella driver”, disappear! When traffic lights change, ef yuh en ready to tek off like Usain Bolt, horns begin blowin’ at yuh, duh drive close up onder yuh car to onnerve yuh or try to pass yuh out in one hell o’ a hurry! Duh outdoin’ “Speedy Gonsalves”!
Who is to know ef it din stress mek dah man go leapin’ from de top o’ one o’ de tall buildin’s in Bridgetown couple weeks back? Wuhevah de problem, he c’n tek it! Job layoffs hittin’ nuff Bajan homes, wid people in de sugar industry now de lates’ group facin’ duh future wid oncertainty, hurricanes ‘pon we agenda once mo’ – all dese problems to deal wif, raisin’ we stress level!
Sometimes, yuh got try an’ put aside yuh worries li’l bit or ef not, doctor bills gine be high – bringin’ mo’ stress! Anyhow, Philomena tryin’ she bes’ to get muh to j’in she in de Crop Over Foreday Mornin jam! Dah’s one time stress cyhan tek hol’!
Tek care o’ yuhselfYuh frien’ Babsie
