Today as Jamaica celebrates 51 years of Independence I want to express my thoughts and wishes for my country. My blog expresses a general love and appreciation for all things travel but a lot of my content is Jamaican because….. well I am Jamaican :).
Every country has it’s own thing that makes it special and why you must not miss the chance to see it. Jamaica is no different . I am always in awe of how it is possible for a little island to have such far reaching influence. For many, it is a dream and once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Jamaica because at some point they have been impacted by our culture, music , people or just seeing photos of our beautiful island. I’ve always said to my friends that Jamaica is more than a country it is a feeling, a brand, a lifestyle. Jamaican style and culture is infectious. You either really love it or you hate it , there is rarely a stance in the middle.
I have never been one to curse or disown Jamaica for its flaws then claim and celebrate its victories. With the good I also take the bad. Like most things in life , nothing is perfect. Jamaica is often marred by a reputation of violence which though sometimes exaggerated on the world stage the fears are not entirely unfounded. The people who are sometimes labeled the nicest and friendliest in the world have also been labeled the wickedest. Crime exists everywhere and the bad actions of a few often overshadow the good of the majority.
In the 51 years since we acquired our independence from Great Britain , we are still not independent as we depend a lot on international loans and grants and are heavily burdened by debt and stagnant growth. We have leaders that lack vision and often act in the interest of self of party rather than the good of the country. Two political parties that continuously rape and abuse our resources while playing the blame game, pointing fingers at each other causing division of the uneducated mass . A mass that includes those of us that think we are educated because we may hold a degree or a prestigious title but often fall victim to the same division, the “them and us syndrome” creating two Jamaicas instead of trying to build one great nation. The largest businesses and are foreign owned, even some of our natural resources aren’t ours anymore. Although rich in many things the country remains poor. It is however said that a country barely over 50 is still considered young so there is still time to get it right.
My wish is that all Jamaicans have the opportunity to travel and see how our music, accent/language (patois), cooking, dancing and our whole vibe as a people is embraced worldwide. Maybe then we would embrace our culture with pride and see how rich we are as a people as wealth is more than just money . Greatness is in our blood. I appreciate various cultures I never cease to wear the black , green and gold with pride. Happy Independence Jamaica from one of your proudest daughters. Jamaican fi life! Di Dry lan’ Touris’
Happy Birthday Jamaica from one of your proudest daughters.