Howdy and Tenky

My mother used to tell me growing up "Howdy and Tenky nuh bruk nuh square", of course as a child I never really understood what that meant. As I grew up it started to make more and more sense. Unfortunately, as I grew, generally as a population our manners seem to get poorer and poorer.

I witnessed one incident where a man knocked over some items on a market vendor's stall and then turn 'round and tell her "pick up dat fi mi". No "sorry" no nothing, he preceded to walk off right after his version of "sorry"! I can only assume his intention was to say sorry. Not only do we find the young males of our times are ill-mannered we find the same for the younger females.

Well, at least that has been my general view on the matter until tonight. Here I am in a taxi, first to enter and a woman, early or mid-forties, enter in the back sit and sat right behind me. Not only did not even paid me the courtesy of a good night she spent a good 3 minutes arguing with herself that the taxi would not be ready for now and she needs to get home urgently. So she got out and headed to another taxi. I decided it would be a good opportunity for a social experiment so I waited to see what would happen when the next person entered.

Half minute later a elderly woman entered, again sitting right behind me. To my dismay she too did say a word! I continue to wait after all I have no where to go. Next entered a man, mid thirties. Thankfully the treasured words escaped his lips. And the elderly woman behind me did what? She loudly responded good night. In came a teenage girl who like her elderly counterpart had a seat without a mumbling word.

This is not sufficient evidence to suggest that mid thirty year old men are more mannerly. I wouldn't go so far. However, it did provide sufficient grounds for me to think we do need a Values and Attitude Program in Jamaica. Not one that has at its core a political agenda, but one that brings our people back to the things that make us Jamaican. All over the world we are seen as a warm and friendly set of people. When you enter a resort you see all sorts of Jamaicans saying "morning", "evening", "afternoon" and "how you do". Yet it is not important enough to show this same courtesy to our own neighbours here at home.

I really don't know if there is a fix but something must be done. I take the bus and see elderly persons who are forced to stand because children who couldn't be more than 10 takes the seats intended for the elderly. What hurts more is a child and a parent in these seats and the parent wouldn't even let their child sit in their lap so that the elderly person can get a seat. The famous words being in these situations that they paid for the child hence they paid for the seat. I wonder if some of these parents recognize the fact that their children are storing these experiences for when they grow older. If Karma is the force she is portrayed to be woe be unto those said parents. Expect to be treated as "unwanted" and "unloved" when you become the elderly person on the bus!

Yes, we need a Values and Attitude Program in some shape or form or us adults will be sorry when we get older to see the generation we will create to lead us as a people.


Tek care, walk good!