Small Things, Happier Jamaica

Lately, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what individuals can do to make JAMAICA a happier place to live. Jamaicans should feel happy all the time, with the perfect year round weather  and untouched natural beauty, in arms reach at all times. We are known for our beautiful beaches, rolling hills, breath-taking flora and fauna. The food is crazy good, from street food, straight through to fine dining. We are the artistic center of the Caribbean. There isn’t a genre of music that doesn’t borrow from our authentic Reggae and Dancehall beats. Everyone else in the world vacations where we live. That’s really something to be happy about, isn’t it?

So why are Jamaicans so damn angry all the time?

There are obviously bigger issues, dealing with crime, poverty and violence at play here, but I’d like to focus on a more individual level of change. So I’ve come up with a list of SMALL THINGS, individual Jamaicans can do, to improve the lives of their fellow Jamaicans, and thusly, make Jamaica a HAPPIER place to live.

1. Window Washers. They are often seen aggressively attacking your wind shield at any given stop light, or simply begging you for money in general. They are angry, hence they make you angry. How about you keep a few Ovaltine biscuits or National Cream Crackers in your car, and when the aggressive window washers approach you, you offer them something to eat? I think they are angry because they are hungry. If you feed them, perhaps they will be less aggressive, and they won’t make the next person they come into contact with, angry too.

2. Pay the check for a stranger. Say you are out to eat with a friend and you are ready for the bill. Ask your waiter to also bring you the bill of a stranger sitting near by. Pay it. Write them a short note, wishing them well, so when they ask for the check, they will get your note instead. Times are hard, but it’s really nice when you can show your fellow Jamaicans kindness, for no apparent reason.

3. Mind your road manners. The traffic is awful, and when Jamaicans get behind a wheel, they lose all sense of decency and decorum. Well, mind your road manners! You see a woman, with a car full of screaming kids, who needs to merge into the turning lane. Let her through! Stop being a pig-headed, selfish, nit-wit, and speed ahead like you don’t know any better. Just like you want people to give you a some respect, show respect to others. Even the God-awful taxi’s.

4. Show kindness to someone you don’t like. We all have people in this world who rub us the wrong way. Sometimes these people are friends with our friends, and we are thrown together in social situations. Rather than get sucked into the drama, right off the bat, give the person you don’t like a compliment. You don’t have to be best friends, and you don’t have to be a two-faced b*tch, but take the high road, pay the compliment, then go on with life. Your friend will appreciate it, and who knows, maybe you will stop spending time disliking people, and transition into a space of wishing everyone well, and not being bogged down by negative energy.

5. Donate your clothes, time and money. There are a great many causes and a great many people in need in the world. We love to donate internationally, (I am guilty of this), but when it comes to donating locally, we hesitate. Somehow, we don’t trust locals to spend our donations to benefit the cause. It’s a cultural thing. Because our POLITICIANS rape and pillage our tax dollars and our country, we are mistrustful of all Jamaicans. The only person who we will give our money to is Shaggy for the Children’s Hospital, because at least we get a concert out of it! Well, try to open your minds. If you don’t want to donate your money, donate your time to working with children in need, or with the elderly. Make a bunch of sandwiches and drop them off at the hospitals for the doctors, nurses, and administrative staff who may not have had time to eat something that day. Donate your gently worn clothes and furniture to Salvation Army. You have so much, even if you don’t have anything at all. You surely can find something to donate. Once you do, you will feel happier about your life, knowing you made someone else happier too.

If you have any thoughts on small things we can do to improve our collective lives in Jamaica, please leave it in the comments below.

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