Elders: Our great untapped resource

FRIDAY, SEPT. 28: ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone’, so the scripture goes.

In my previous column I explored the social and individual changes we need to examine. I purposely use the term we, as I cannot exonerate myself from some of these shortfalls of human nature.

Let us continue this journey of change and evolution.

Many of us give our boss a 6 for a 9. You know come into work late, leave work early, spend a portion of the day on BB or FB and call in sick etc.

But Bermuda is no longer ‘another world’ — we are part of the ‘global village.’ We now compete with other employees in and from other countries.

Our work efficiency as Bermudians needs to take it up a level.

Whether it is training or more attention to detail or positively engaging with internal and external clients. We as the Bermudian workforce must revaluate and re-evolve.

As Life expectancy goes up, love expectancy goes down. Many of us are blessed to have our parents and grandparents still on the horizontal side of ‘Chippo Augustus’.

Seniors have Future Care, yet fading ‘future love’. Pharmaceuticals have us believing our seniors will be here forever, whilst seniors ask themselves “How long must I suffer this loneliness?”

We need to take every spare moment we have to engage with and learn from our elders. Their bodies fail, yet their minds and spirits get stronger.

Why rely on Google when you have Granny? They have 70-plus years of knowledge to transfer to us .Engage an elder; get enriched and evolve.

In this new column, I have purposefully chosen to start with topics that cut across the board and all demographics. Why? In a politically manufactured climate of division and depression, we need to remember we all are human. We all encounter 80 per cent of the same challenges.

I love my country and I love my people. Yet we don’t see ourselves or treat each other as equals. We separate ourselves by colour, economic class or political affiliation.

Then we blame our woes on ‘those people over there.’ We wonder why our young men destroy themselves and each other? In our self-imposed division we ourselves have become the ultimate gangs. We need to evolve as equals.

As Bob Marley would say, ‘One love’. And as John Lennon would say ‘All we need is love’.

In my next column I will venture into the murky waters of politics.

Forgive me Father, for I will Sin.

• Christopher Famous is a graduate of The Berkeley Institute and Bermuda College. He is a self-described “blue collar worker, keen social observer and proud PLP supporter”. E-mail him: [email protected]