Letters & Opinion

Obstacles ARE The Path

By Peter Josie
By Peter Josie

I’VE just finished reading Amy Klobuchar’s book “The Senator Next Door” in which she gave an account of her early family life and her climb to Minnesota’s senior Senator, in the United States Senate. For my part it was an interesting read although the Senator had reserved the gem and absolute touch stone of her account, to the last pages – the Epilogue. There, she related an account of a family visit to Slovenia, the home of her ancestors, and the story of a writer who was dying of cancer and who decided to write her own obituary to leave behind for her children. In it she left behind this wisdom: ‘May you always remember that obstacles in the path are not obstacles, they ARE the path’.

This bit of wisdom may not come as a total surprise to those who have had the benefit of wise counsel from parents, guardians, teachers and enlightened religion. Perceptive parents and guardians teach children to ‘stay the course, and not give up easily without effort – learning to surmount hurdles’. Whatever the challenges, teachers teach patience and more regular study in order to overcome difficulties, while gifted priests, pastors and religious leaders teach the infinite wisdom that count obstacles as tests, which faith and grace can help overcome. Such obstacles are the path which leads to the place (the destination), that God desires for us – even for those whose faith is yet to be fully developed.

On reflection, obstacles can seem a blessing. Getting through them is the difficult part. It takes courage, patience and forbearance to get through a path strewn with obstacles. Not surprisingly, the more difficult the obstacles, the more physical and/or emotional pain they inflict, the sweeter and greater the reward or blessing. One emerges from such obstacles chastened and cleansed – a new person seeing his or her journey as unique and interesting and not as it was previously perceived. A mind wrought with fear, anger and misgivings can often misinterpret obstacles. The road of life is never without obstacles. They are the path and one continues to walk even where no one has walked before and where obstacles abound – such is the path to a fulfilling life – and solutions discovering.

If I were a betting man, I would wager that many seniors who read this could give vivid examples in which obstacles led them to a better and more secure place than they were before they encountered such obstacles. From my own experience I can truthfully say that the many obstacles that had been thrown in my path, some deliberate and malicious, have led me to where I am today, enjoying a fairly quiet and peaceful life and reasonably good health. Looking back I see few of my former nemesis among the living. It is as if God had cleared the obstacles one at a time and gave me the courage to stay focused and keep on the path, as He cleared each obstacle away. Still, I do not carry my faith or my religion on my sleeves, exposing them to vulgar eyes, as I do my politics. And at the mention of politics let me digress a moment to say how happy and proud the delegates at last Sunday’s convention of the United Workers Party made me feel, by the way they cast their ballots. It was the fair and correct thing to do. One hopes and prays that the political leader can finally bind the party together with the willing, who are finally prepared to recognize him as their duly elected political leader.

He has little time to waste. The first order of business is to help those who opposed him find a path through the obstacles that stood in their way. He must take into account the considerable sensitivities, and in some cases calculated mischief, prompted from without, that aims to keep his party divided and in opposition. Compromises may be on the cards but how far he goes to placate his foes and overcome obstacles will depend on his estimate of its worth to the party and country. It’s better to make war with a weak and united force, than with a strong but divided outfit. Perhaps he should begin where Compton and Giraudy left off, by having in-depth discussions with his chairman so as to chart a new path, and to clear obstacles in the path of a UWP victory, at the next polls. No person who does not wholeheartedly support the leader should be a candidate. No man is bigger than the party or the political leader and chairman of the party.

The political leader must caucus as soon as possible with senior stalwarts of the party, to canvass their views on matters of party and national interests, perhaps making an informal social evening out of that gathering. Before his first executive meeting he should also caucus with his new executive for informal talks to brief them on the role each is expected to play in winning the next elections. Helping Saint Lucia climb out of the deep ditch into which this clueless boys, pretending to be ‘men at work’ has placed it is no easy task.

The present social and economic situation in the island demands that the three annual baby steps which the political leader of the UWP has taken since 2013, be now strengthened and lengthened into more bold, thoughtful and calculated steps. He has to win the hearts and minds of a national constituency, including those UWP’s who had voted New Labour in the past. The political leader must endeavour with a sincere and genuine heart to bring as many dissident elements of his party together again. He must find the courage to speak one on one to every person who needs his attention and must do whatever he thinks is correct to get ‘his’ candidates in place within the shortest possible time. In this he must have the full support of the new chairman of the party. So too must he seek the continuous support and input of his two deputy political leaders. In the meantime he must select three able persons to canvas members on the priorities for the party’s election manifesto.

He must do all these things even as he demands that there ought not to be any press releases or public statements of any kind, from anyone, unless and until such releases are approved by himself, the chairman and at least one deputy political leader. The rules ought to be spelt out again and a conference of delegates called if needs be in early 2016, to strengthen the hands of the political leader and chairman where this is deemed necessary, to help unite and bring greater discipline to the party. If he does all these things and does them to the best of his ability, a still larger and more difficult task awaits him.

It is to bring the people of Saint Lucia together as one, under God, working to pull it from its social and economic decline. ‘Hard labour’ with its lies and excessive taxes, has no place else to turn. The attack on skin colour has not worked. The ‘Creole’ barrier did not work, so the last card: a spoilt boy who runs to daddy when his toys are broken and who spent too much when he was Minister. Ha-ha, imagine that! Who does this cap best fit? I mean the over-spending or unwise expenditure.

A united (UWP) Government working steadfastly and guided by integrity, is a sure guarantee to overcome obstacles in the path to progress. It will take a strong and united government to undo the bad work of New Labour exposing the IMPACS report, the oil deal signing, (Grynberg), the appointments of total foreigners of unproven ability, to an international forum in this island’s name, among others. A new Prime Minister will do well to remember ‘that obstacles are the path.’ Overcoming them is bound to lead to an improvement in this island’s social and economic regeneration and a happier future for all.

7 Comments

  1. Peetar:
    You were offered premium psychiatric asylum at Rockland Center in NY State-free
    Let me introduce you to to the flip side of this gracious offer_
    The power band AC/DC have modified their Hit single – to suit your profile. Savour the lyrics with much florish
    “I’m a rolling thunder, a pouring rain

    I’m comin’ on like a hurricane

    My lightning’s flashing across the sky
    I won’t take no prisoners
    
I got my brain bell dangler,
    I’m gonna take Peter Judas Josie to hell
    
I’m gonna get Peter Judas Josie to Satan’s Inferno- you betcha!
    Hell’s bells
 oh Yeah,
    hell’s bells
    
You got me ringing hell’s bells
    
My temperature’s high, hell’s bells
    I’ll give you black sensations up and down your spine
    
If you’re into evil I’ve got a tow fer you,
    See my red light flashing as I split the night
    
Cause if good’s on the left,

    Then I’m stickin’ Josie to the right
    I won’t take no prisoners,
    I’m gonna take Peter Judas Josie to hell

    I’m gonna get you to Satan’s Inferno
    Yeow
    Hell’s bells, Satan’s comin’ to Josie
    
Hell’s bells, he’s ringing them now

    Hell’s bells, the temperature’s high
    
Hell’s bells, across the sky
    
Hell’s bells, they’re takin’ you down
    
Hell’s bells, they’re draggin’ you around
    
Hell’s bells, gonna split the night
    
Hell’s bells, there’s no way to fight, yeah!”

  2. Peetar;
    You are such a contrived sociopath as in the oxymoron: Fresh baked STALENESS.
    Your political relevancy is decades past -its expiration date

    The same fate that awaits the potency of your psychotrophic pills.
    Not even the Steroids and Viagra that you purloin from your favorite “weightlifter’ stash
    can revive your feeble minded ‘droppings”-
    All the roundabout to Bosnia for an obscure author-yet the part that made any sense to you was the writer’s “reality TV seque” from her personal diary-
    a reality that could be had from many local interviews of victims.
    More like a psychological slip of displacement defense to my previous allegation of ethnic cleansing a la Dominican Republic style.
    You and your nazi inspired “hyena junta” are as naked as Portuguese Man o war JELLY FISH

  3. Peetar in this Bosnian Serb inspired spittle seems geared down as a template for a Sarah Flood prologue on this forum.
    But then only a castrated hermaphrodite like Peter Judas Josie could strut so boldly in fish net stocking!
    Here I was expecting bombastic gloating apres well staged “le convention”, whose preconceived results made for mere trivial formalities.
    But the witch’s coup de grace was hysterical overkill, that will certainly haunt her “Salem” tribulation.
    And what of your article’s title? Even here, your attempt to sell Chaz in the bluesy redemptive theme of the “Pilgrim’s Progress” is DOA.
    Frost’s
    “The Path less chosen”
    would’ve have stolen some literary currency for your soulless aim.

  4. Peetar/
    Here is a synopsis of your recent Gros-Islet convention that should have concluded with readings or select multimedia ppt slides from a milieu of the following:
    -Mein Kampf
    -Animal Farm
    -1984
    -The Lion king
    -Select episodes from The Three Stooges
    INstead of concluding with the Chaz’s apres latrine- buttocks wiper, >Mary Isaac<
    ………………………………………………………
    Synopsis of your recent convention at Gros Islet- aka
    Theatre of the Horror- Freak Show
    Featuring:
    1-Rigo: Sporting shaven scalp of a French Nazi Collaborator + US$5000 Augmented Mammary Glands for cosmetic appeal-only!
    2- Mary the bearded Hag- $100’s on maintenance hormone treatments to control facial hair abnormalities and other bouts of exaggerated male aggressiveness. Active witch
    3- Guy- Pavlovian canine instincts. Covertly stuck betwixt the coveted flamboyance of of Little Richard and Liberace-
    4- Peter Josie : castrated hermaphodite
    5- Chaz- Imagines himself to be the Phil Jackson of St Lucia “B-Ball Politics”
    6- Sarah Flood- Dumb Blonde as lady in perpetual distress

    The Fabulously Freaky Flambeau Convention
    “Karn Evil 9”
    Cold and misty morning, I heard a warning borne in the air
    About an age of power where no one had an hour to spare,
    Where the seeds have withered, silent children shivered, in the cold
    Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold.
    Chaz willl be there
    Rigo will be there
    The witch Mary Isaac will be there.

    Step inside! Hello! We’ve a most amazing show
    You’ll enjoy it all we know
    Step inside! Step inside!

    We’ve got thrills and shocks, supersonic fighting cocks.
    Leave your hammers at the box
    Come inside! Come inside!

    Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
    See the show!

    Left behind the bars, Stephen King’s head and scrotum in jars
    Spectacular! Spectacular!

    If you follow me there’s a speciality
    Some tears for you to see
    Misery, misery,

    Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
    See the show!

    Next upon the bill in our proposed House of parliament
    We’ve a Ricky Wayne stripper in a till
    What a thrill! What a thrill!

    And not content with that,
    With our hands behind our backs,
    We pull Jesus from a hat,
    Get into that! Get into that!

    Roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
    See the show!

    Come inside, the show’s about to start
    Guaranteed to blow your head apart
    Rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth
    Greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth
    You’ve got to see the show, it’s a dynamo
    You’ve got to see the show, it’s a flaming torch from Hades- Flambeau!

    Right before your eyes we pull laughter from the skies
    And he laughs until he cries, then he dies, then he dies

    Come inside, the show’s about to start
    Guaranteed to blow your head apart
    Soon the occult Queen- Mary Isaac, in a glaze of vaseline
    Will perform on guillotine, what a scene, what a scene
    Next upon the stage u please extend a hand
    To Josie’s ASYLUM band, (drunk & disorderly groupee of Quavers & Tru Tones combos)
    Roll up, roll up, roll up
    See the show

    Performing on a stool we’ve a sight to make you drool
    Bald –50 DD chested Rigobert and a mule, keep it cool, keep it cool
    We would like it to be known the exhibits that were shown
    Were exclusively Flambeau- all Flambeau

    Come and see the show, come and see the show
    Come and see the convention
    See the Yellow Convention!

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