The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Without a doubt, The Bahamas will soon be abuzz with celebrations of all sorts related to 50 years as an Independent nation. Amidst the myriad of festive fervor will be a wide variety of individual interpretations of Independence. All the same, celebrations will abound here, there and everywhere. For sure, too, celebrations will come in all forms of low and high fashions.

My guess is that many Bahamians will be earnestly proud and elated to celebrate the anniversary of our move away from British colonial domination to local political governance. Other Bahamians, I am convinced, will be demonstrating jubilation in superficial, token celebrations and simply “jumpin’ in der line ter have a good time”. This begs the real (not rhetorical) question “What are we celebrating, anyway?”

Is it the fact that this beautiful archipelagic nation has survived for 50 years? Are there some goals or agenda that were set 50 years ago that have now been achieved? Could there be some other measures which can be pointed to and give validity for the celebrations we are bound to experience in just a couple of weeks?

You may at some point before getting to my last word here suppose that I’m simply a party-pooper or outright cynic. Before jumping overboard with such a heavy supposition, please consider some of what follows.

Reading/listening to understand does not obligate one to agree. ‘Even the dull and the ignorant, they too have their stories.’ Also, as a general rule, isn’t it better to have an open mind (like umbrellas)? Who knows, perhaps we might find some corrections for our misdirections.

Our culture has indoctrinated us to celebrate our birthdays, for instance. What do we actually celebrate on that anniversary date of our birth? Is it the coming out of our mothers’ wombs - which we had no control of? The fact is that we couldn’t stay there indefinitely, even if it was so comfortable that we didn’t want to leave. Could that also be a metaphor for some begrudging Bahamians in 1973? Anyway, from my perspective, mothers would have more reasons to celebrate the dates of our births than their children. Or, could our birthday celebrations merely be acknowledging how long we’ve actually been breathing on our own? In some way, that is worth celebrating.

Celebrations are going to happen throughout The Bahamas whether or not all those celebrating know or care about the meaning of our Independence. Celebrating things like birthdays is one thing. But, celebrating things like graduations and anniversaries is quite another thing. After having set goals, sacrificing and then attaining certain accomplishments, there is definitely a legitimate and righteous cause for celebrations. Could 50 years of Independence in The Bahamas be seen in that light - with the brightness of our mid-day sun or brilliant midnight fireworks? Are we in 2023 any more certain, for example, about exactly who really has rights to Bahamian citizenship than we were in 1973?

There can be no denial that much has been achieved and attained in our 50 years as an Independent nation. On individual as well as national levels, there is much that we can celebrate. We may also take an objective and conscientious look to see whether or not many of those accomplishments could be attributed to Independence. Whatever answers or conclusions we come up with, they would not preclude us from celebrating where we are, where we have come from, and where we hope to go: forward, upward, onward together!

Celebrations of our nation’s birthday are already pulsating throughout our 700 island, rocks & cays, and will only become more intense in the days to come. Phil Stubbs, Ancient Man, Puzzle, among others have very fine renditions of birthday songs. We may dedicate them all to our still-developing nation at this festive time. Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration Time” might also be borrowed, as we celebrate with abandon. Even without music, partying or other such expressions of glee and rejoicing, Bahamians of all descriptions can use this momentous milestone on our calendar to contemplate a very meaningful resolve.

When more and more Bahamians think about what we can do for our country, rather than what it can do for us, the possibilities would be unlimited. We would have more real and meaningful reasons to celebrate. Why not set targets and goals for, say, the year ahead, the next 5 years, the next 10 years? That way, every anniversary of Bahamas Independence we could be celebrating true, true reflections of our National Anthem, National Motto & National Pledge.

MB

Nassau

June 25, 2023