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...