Ze Selassie Guilty...

Interesting to see that they have found Ze Selassie guilty and have given him life in prison. The justice system has been under such scrutiny in recent years, and with the failure to get a conviction in the Kellon Hill case, there has been a serious outcry to have the system revamped completely.

I hate to say it, but Ze Selassie may have suffered the indignity of being found guilty even before his trial had begun. While we hope that justice has taken it's proper course in this trial, and for all intents and purposes it seems as though it has, I shudder to think what would have happened should there have been another botched trial and he walked free.

Ultimately we should still look at fixing whatever is broken in this system. That we have no answers in the Kellon Hill murder trial has left a sickening taste in our mouths. We need resolution.

Random Thoughts...

“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.” - Albert Einstein

When do we begin to take stock of our lives? Our accomplishments, failures, celebrations, regrets. If you look back upon the days of our lives, there are significant moments, moments that have made a profound difference in our lives. The birth of a child, the death of a loved one, the day we get married, the day we get divorced. It's the impact moments of our lives that we recall most vividly, points we recall and use as life lessons, ones that will either inspire us, or be burdens we carry the rest of our days.

As a parent, we should make decisions for our kids that will give them the best chances for success. Rest assured that our hope for the future rests in their hands. How we help them along the way ensures that they grow up with the same ideas, same thought processes as we do, and hopefully they will make strong solid decisions with their lives.

Somehow along the way some of our youth are not getting the message. Somehow there are a bunch of great kids falling through the cracks. Kids making bad decisions. The recent murder trials that have dominated our front pages the past few months have put a major question mark on our young people. At what point are we going to step up as a community and recognize that we are at serious risk of damaging our future.

A few years ago I took the Youth Leadership Development course at the Bermuda College. Part of the program was centered around what makes a good leader and how we have to get our kids to recognize that they can be positive leaders in our society, and that the decisions they make can affect their lives in positive or negative ways depending on which path they choose. It's tough. people migrate to leadership naturally whether it's good or bad. It has become imperative that we seek to implement programs that will produce great, positive, productive leaders. The time is now.

I joined CURB a few months ago and recently went to my first meeting where we discussed advocacy. As a grassroots organization with a solid representation from people around Bermuda, it looks like the kind of organization that can help address the ills of racism in Bermuda. It should be an interesting journey. I look forward to working with them and doing our part to make our island a better place.

Last but not least, this week Bermuda is gripped in the paranoia that is Hurricane Bill. Now I hate to appear sexist here, but there are things that shouldn't have been messed with. I'm all for equal rights between men and women, between the races, between people of different sexual orientations, but did we have to change the rules about naming hurricanes? I was quite happy with the Emily's Anna's and Beth's of the world. Bill, who looks quite an imposing fellow, looks to give us the brush by in the next day or two. I hope we all get through it safely.

Namaste...

Commitment to Excellence

“Excellence can be obtained if you:
...care more than others think is wise;
...risk more than others think is safe;
...dream more than others think is practical;
...expect more than others think is possible.” - Unknown

It is possible that the basis of human nature is to find a level of happiness or satisfaction in life, and settle for that level, without ever seeking more, without realizing that life can offer us so much more if only we choose to look for it. Life chooses challenges for each of us, and it is up to us to accept these challenges or not to. Inspiration finds itself in the form of our dreams. We dream the dream impossible, of bright lights, fancy cars and big homes. Each one of us dreaming of a life beyond what we have accepted as the norm.

Thus it is equally inspiring to find those who dare to live the dream, those who challenge themselves, those who are continually raising the bar to higher levels, and wanting to live the impossible dream. It is in those dreams, in the efforts of those who live their dreams every day that can light a fire in even the most desperate of souls.

For the past five years my daughter has found herself associated with a commitment to excellence that is unsurpassed in dance anywhere in Bermuda. The National Dance Foundation has hosted in conjunction with American Ballet Theater a 3 week summer intensive, known as DanceBermuda. Local dancers being trained by world class professionals, dancing alongside world class dancers and living the dream. The experience has been so enriching that my wife and I have volunteered for the past 3 years as host chaperones for the foreign dancers who come to Bermuda to participate in this amazing experience.

Enough of the feel good story. Let's talk about the Bermudian dancers who are not getting this experience. Let's talk about the greedy local dance school owners who chose to not help their dancers live their dream. No other organization or school offers what DanceBermuda does and yet hundreds of our young dancers are not getting the experience because these schools are more interested in $$$$ than they are in getting their dancers world class training. I've walked this road before. Letters to the editor, public please for cooperation have not moved these people. Each year has seen the few local dancers who do participate form friendships, and more importantly develop their skills. Ask anyone who participates, it's the real deal.

So the Bermudian stubbornness prevails. Should we be surprised? Bermudians have a reluctance to accept new ideas, and even in youth development we seem so far behind. With escalated violence on our streets and more and more kids falling seemingly by the wayside, we need more programs such as DanceBermuda, to help our kids live their dreams.