The grass always seems greener n the other side of the bank
by Hydar Ally
THERE is a saying that the grass always looks greener on the other side of the bank. Too often people give up what they have - their jobs, their homes, even their families in their quest for a better life, only to find that their expectations of what constitute a better life fails to match with the reality of their existence. I know of numerous Guyanese who gave up a secure existence for life in North America only to find that life is not what they were expecting; that the only thing that separates them from the home they live in and the street is their last pay cheque. I do not have any problem with people who seek to upgrade the quality of their lives by seeking employment elsewhere. Man being an economic animal, always is on the look out for opportunities that will enhance their standard of life and that of their children. I am still to be convinced, however, that life overseas is any better than that which obtains in Guyana. Especially so for some people who were prominent men and women in their own ways - professionals, businessmen, politicians, sporting personalities and so on who are now reduced to a `cold statistic' in some metropolis where the individuality and sense of community are completely drowned in the hustle and bustle of metropolitan existence. A close acquaintance of mine recently departed for New York (which incidentally is home to thousands of Guyanese possibly the largest concentration of Guyanese abroad). He was doing well in Guyana as a businessman. He was well known and highly regarded for his contribution to community life. Over there in New York, his new home, he was `lucky' to find himself a job as a `counter-boy in a 99-cent shop. Obviously, he did not like the job. Here in Guyana, he never worked with anyone except himself. Now, he is reduced, as it were, to a wage labourer. The point I am seeking to make is that there is much more to life than a desire to maximise one's material well-being. This is often done at a cost, and for some people, at great pain and sacrifice. There is, for example, the sense of community and nationhood which is forever lost when one departs the shores of Guyana. There is the loss of family values and the feeling of connectedness with one's `roots'. In short, there is what is described in sociology as `alienation'. Alienation from one's values; alienation from one's norms and culture; indeed from one's self. No wonder people, in particular men, find it difficult to adjust initially to the new value system often regarded as the `American way'. However, because of family pressures, they are faced into a situation of reconciliation and adaptation often `for the sake of the children'. Guyana, is a land of opportunities. The restoration of democracy has opened up new windows of opportunities which if exploited could provide a quality of life comparable to that in any part of the world. I would like to take the opportunity of this viewpoint to urge Guyanese to think carefully before leaving Guyana to settle elsewhere. Life may not be what we may think or expect. The grass may not be as green as it may appear.  Follow the goings-on in Guyana
|