Caribupdate Weekly, Editorial

August 14, 2014: – We know it’s very easy to lose a genuine perspective on life during holiday and festive seasons; whether it’s at Christmas, carnival or on some other special occasion or time of the year.

And, so, last week – as Grenadians celebrated Spicemas 2014 – of uppermost concern to many thousands of people was who were winning and losing at the various carnival competitions.

As is the norm, there were disgruntlement and cussing over the results; conspiracy theories have been floated; and allegations that competitions were fixed, even before they started.

None of the claims has been supported by a shred of evidence, and perhaps can never be. Nonetheless, they make for good conversation in rumshops and on radio TV talkshows, and provide good fodder for political spinmeisters.

Carnival here and elsewhere remains a significant generator of revenue and a platform for the exhibition of the talent of our creative artistes.

As purely a festival, it is important in historical meaning. But, a few days removed from the end of carnival and now settling back into our regular daily routine, carnival – and whoever won or lost at competition – now are inconsequential to the average Grenadian, who again is preoccupied with what really matters in life: jobs, food, clothing, shelter and healthcare.

They also are about their business of preparing their children for the return to school in September.

We, as a nation, will do ourselves a mountain of good if we keep life in perspective; and, also, if we teach our children how to concede in defeat and how to be a good sport, even when the chips are down.

Too often, losers – whether in politics, sports or culture – refuse to concede; and, even worse, become enablers and vehicles for their supporters who harbour hatred and bitterness for the “other’’, who would have emerged winner.

Fuel is added to the fire when it is suggested, again without any “backitive’’, that foul play was involved, or that ethnicity, class or geographic hometown, played a role in the outcome of a competition.

This attitude is poisonous and inimical to the quest for nation building. Our adults, at all levels of society, must eschew the practice.

For the artistes that won at Spicemas 2014, congratulations. To the losers, we wish them better luck next time.

Some artistes are now getting ready to perform at the next carnival, Labor Day in Brooklyn. There – like here and elsewhere – the organizers are surely going to be dogged by complaints about the carnival.

Perhaps, the problems of carnival are the festival’s refusal to be packaged and sold as fast-food; and its disgust over the relentless confusion over judging and money. The carnival ancestors must be rebelling.

Remembering Dominic Paul

As thousand of Grenadians and carnival visitors were engaged in gaiety on Tuesday, there was a real-life tragedy that left the family of a prominent local businessman in mourning.

Dominic Paul, director and founder of Spice Isle Imaging Centre on the Carenage, died by drowning while swimming at Artist Bay in La Poterie, St Andrew.

In April last year, Caribupdate Weekly conducted an exclusive interview with 54-year-old Paul about Spice Isle Imaging Centre.

Paul, who was affectionately referred to as “Doc’’ by Carenage residents with whom he ate and drank during many limes on The Wharf, told our reporter that he was far from finished in his plans for the centre.

“It’s a work in progress. Our clear objective here is to make this a truly one-stop centre,’’ Paul said in the interview, which was done shortly after the official commissioning of the Carenage building.

Paul explained that millions of dollars had been spent in physical infrastructure upgrade, equipment purchase and service expansion.

The “Doc’’ had worked as a healthcare technician at hospitals in the United States, where he received training in areas such radiology and in doing MRIs and CT scans.

“Coming back home has been a great joy for me to share that service with our people,’’ he confided to Caribupdate Weekly. “I made a deliberate, conscious choice to come back home and do that. That was the clear objective.’’

Among Paul’s future plans was to open an “urgent care centre’’. He explained that the centre will take care of someone who has had an injury and, “rather than going to a public facility and having to wait a long time, you can come here, get the service and get the medication and whatever else you need’’.

Dominic Paul, as a local entrepreneur, is a role model for our youth. He has left a legacy in an area of life that concerns Grenadians on an ongoing, daily basis – being able to access efficient, modern and professional healthcare services.

Rest in Peace, Dominic “Doc’’ Paul.