The Tribune

By INIGO 'NAUGHTY' ZENICAZELAYA

A few weeks ago, I found myself at a barbecue at a friend’s house, enjoying a leisurely Sunday afternoon. 

As is tradition with these outings, everyone brought their family, and their choice of burgers, beers and libations.

A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) showed up with his wife, his 65-year-old father (whom we affectionately call “The BBQ King”) and his 15-year-old son (whom we teasingly call “Booger”).

The BBQ King immediately took his rightful place behind the grills (three of them), where his skills are second to none. 

As he began prepping the food, he ushered command after command to his grandson, “Booger”, who looked less than pleased to be serving as gopher while all the other kids were splashing around in the pool.

“Booger” was moving slow as molasses (on purpose, I’m sure) as he got the charcoal, then the lighter fluid, then the tongs, then the foil, the plates, the corn, and whatever “The BBQ King” needed to serve up the most delicious ribs, steaks and burgers you can imagine.

As the sun shone bright and the air started to smell of sweet barbecue, I noticed “Booger”, iPod in hand, longingly staring off in the distance while the hot dogs started to sizzle. 

‘The BBQ King’ must have noticed his indentured sous-chef’s lack of attention too, because he hollered, “Boy turn them dogs ’fore they burn!”

“I turned them!” “Booger” responded half-heartedly, before being pushed aside.

“Boy, go find something else to do before you mess up my food,” ‘The BBQ King’ said. “How you expect to cook and play with that thing in ya head? 

“That’s the problem with y’all young people; y’all don’t know how to pay attention. That’s why yinna so lousy!”

As “Booger” rushed toward the pool (with a sly smile on his face), he murmured, “That’s the problem with y’all old people; y’all too grumpy, and want everybody to do y’all work!”

Say what? 

For some time now, I have been amazed by the growing disconnect between our elders and the younger generation, as well as the fact that we as a nation have accepted this as the status quo and allow it to get progressively worse by the second.

On the one hand, some young people have no respect for elders and their contributions to our society, while on the other hand there are older people who the world has passed by; they are too afraid (or too stubborn) to move with the times and as aresult brand anything new and different as “foolishness” or a “flash in the pan”.

I remember my wife’s very first OBGYN, an older doctor with busy patient list who must not have had a clue how to run the brand new ultrasound machine in her examining room. 

One day I dared to ask her when we would be able to see our baby only to have my hopes dashed with, “Oh that ultrasound machine is broken, I am waiting for the technician from Florida to fix it.” 

Obviously the technician was on Bahamian time, because throughout all our visits right up until the birth of our child, we had not received a single ultrasound from that OBGYN. 

We did have several done at Doctors Hospital (where they always did an excellent job) while our then doctor allowed dust to cover the only piece of equipment resembling modern technology in her office.

Imagine my surprise on our second child, with the help of our second (and still) OBGYN, who’s very smart, and who happens to also be young, and her plethora of modern resources — I was able to view an ultrasound right there in her office, it was one of the most ironic moments of my life, the ultra sound showed my son in such detail, I was left to marvel (and laugh, hysterically) at the fact that, he had his foot (specifically, his big toe) in his mouth.

With everything in life, change is happening every second of every day. 

There are some amongst us who resist or even loathe change (as in, extra or unwanted work in the form of a “modern” ultrasound machine). 

Alternatively, there are others who fly blindly into the future without an inkling of the past (as in, downloading an iTune when the better, original version is freely available in your parents’ CD collection).

Sadly, both are doomed

As the ‘baby boomers’ and ‘millennials’ age and are forced to share the planet with the fruits of their loin’s loins, respect and mutual understanding will surely make the forced cohabitation much easier to stomach.

Speaking of stomachs, I am happy to report “The BBQ King” retained his crown by serving up the best ever ribs I have tasted in my life.

Sadly, the barbecue didn’t go so well for “Booger.”

In his haste, he was already neck deep in the pool before he remembered his iPod was in his pocket. 

All I can say is…yep, “lousy”.