Tower Of Babel

Well, as I said, I been doing more reading that writing of late, but this ‘write’ has perhaps been stimulated by a ‘read’ over at Mad Bull’s site, as well as a personal experience of mine that took place early last week.

The Bull was showcasing a photo of Kingston’s waterfront that apparently another blogger had posted. Can’t say I recall ever checking the blogger’s site, not ’cause I have anything ‘gainst the individual, is just that since I not so prolific with this thing anymore, I not much into checking out new sites……. I kinda stick with what I know and like. And as a BTW, since I mention that, nuff of onoo mussi check seh man stop read and comment pon onoo site. Not really, what happen is that mi computer and blogger in particular (not my fav…always seems to be causing worries) seem to have issues. In many cases I can’t open comment boxes, can’t post comments or whatever…..furthermore, on many of the sites where I do get the comment box to open, dem people name blogger no longer seem to recognize my password. So the comment nuh get post, man get vex and cuss rass, and so it endeth……so, if you don’t see any words from me, it nuh necessarily follow seh me dash you weh. Maybe someone like MB can try to fix these ‘issues’ or I may need to call in a anodda bredrin with ‘tech’ skills (which I am not afraid to say I lack when it comes to these things called computers).

Anyhow, continuing….. MB was writing about the decay of downtown Kingston, which I agree in many ways is a big shame. Downtown Kingston did play a great part in the history making of this nation….and for that reason alone, we should try to preserve it. Mark you, it is not only in Ja. where there have been parts of cities that have decayed. However, in many other places (perhaps where there is more money) lots has been done to make good on the decay. Old delapidated buildings are demolished, and new ones replace them, economic growth is stimulated, and a transformation of sorts occurs.

There are efforts presently to restore the ‘down’ end of our city, but in many ways, I have to agree, the success seems to me, like a fart in the wind…here now, but gone in seconds…..for want of a better analogy. I have to agree again, criminal elements, fear of lawbiding citizens, an unwillingness to do business/invest expensive money in an area where one may reap limited rewards financially etc. are some factors that contribute to the seeming failure to resuscitate the dead or dying downtown. It would be nice if things could be turned around, but I don’t see it happening in the near future…….

The Bull also mentioned that he felt much safer in New Kingston…..and I do agree with him there, though personally, I would much rather do business on its outskirts, as it is just a headache to bob and weave through the traffic and finding a parking space during daytime hours is like hoping to find rocking horse manure!

Personally, my experiences with downtown ever since leaving the Blue and White of North Street in ‘81 have been very limited. Since then, I have had more than twenty years associated with the UWI, and and about another seventeen or so associated with its hospital.

Monday night of last week, I was called by one of our Nurses regarding a patient’s blood pressure……it was markedly elevated. Now, despite the fact that he was not admitted to our servce for this, we do have to look after it. Turns out that the man has been known to have ‘pressure’ for a long time, but has not taken any medcation for same for almost a week, and of course, like many of our true blue Jamaican patients, hadn’t a clue what he was taking for it (when he was being compliant)…..fellow thought that telling me ’bout ‘a likkle brown pill’ was providing me with a wealth of pharmaceutical knowledge. Needless to say, the pressure was so high, I had to be titrating it down using an intravenous antihypertensive….until he was within a safe range…….lest him go get a ’stroke’. While I am waiting to check on his pressure, I hear two gunshot buss in the distance, breaking the relative quiet of the night……it was ’bout 11:15 PM. About thirty seconds later, I hear the ‘reply’ ….three shot, but these sound like dem a leggo from a heavier gun. Eventually, things go quiet again. ‘Bout fifteen minutes later, I am dong a final check on the patient’s pressure and it is now satisfactory…..I am writing my notes in his docket and preparing to leave…..when all of a sudden, the REAL BLOODCLAAT deal start buss. Trus me, I actually jumped when I heard the first few leggo. This time, it sound like dem a buss right on the hospital compound…..and there was a true war going on lasting for about ten minutes. Trus me, nuff shot did fire. Eventually, it stopped….doh ask me if anybody did dead…I haven’t a clue and nutten was heard about it in the news next day. Of course, as dem seh, ‘coward man keep sound bone’….I delayed my departure to return home in order to draw cover for the night, hoping that I wouldn’t get called again. When the security guard was opening the gate to let me out into the parking area, he told me to be careful, ’cause de dutty bwoy dem a buss shot outta road!’ I told him I had heard, and that I would do my utmost best. Driving through the gate to exit, I see two Police cars guarding the exit and entrance gates of the hospital. The road otherwise in Papine was almost like a ghost town. I got home safely in about fifteen minutes (yeah, I did press out the cyar).

Long and short of it, is we need to continue to pray for Ja. Land We Love. We all can’t flee to ‘foreign’, for if we do, then the wrongdoers will have won the battle. This country belongs as much to me, as to any of its other decent citizens. Just remember, there is only one (or perhaps) two ways by which we can help to bring about change…. 1. By voting, 2. By being good role models for others to emulate. I can’t right now tell you that either P (referring to the JL and PN) is better, but I do feel that the present regime siddung too long inna de chair and is time fe dem fe get evicted! I think I going stop there. Post may seem at times disjointed, but it is truly from the heart of one Jamaican man who can easily love and hate this rass of a place (rass being used more as term of enderament here) at the same time. Time to flash and get ready to go see some private patient yaw! Blessings.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 4:33 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.