Trinidad and Tobago-The Teenage Years

Happy Independence day or whatever

On Friday 31 August we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary  of our Independence. 50 years might sound like a wise and mature old age to be, but  in reality, for a country like ours, it means we are still in our early teens.

Signs of classic teenage behaviour are everywhere in Trinidad and Tobago.

For instance, we blame our parents, the British, for everything. We obsessively care what others, meaning the whole world, think about us. We listen to weird music like soca and  chutney, that only we understand. We eat too much junk food like KFC.  We ignore our sibling Tobago. And not a day goes by in which columnists, bloggers and almost everyone on facebook  observes how everything here  just  plain sucks.

Like any good teenager, we are also having silly relationships. First we got together with the PNM because they were like so cool, but that didn't work out, and then we met the NAR, and they were really nice, until the whole coup thing, then we got back together with the PNM, but they didn't change even though they said they would, so we hooked up with  the UNC, which was kinda different, but that didn't last, and we got back with the PNM cause they said they were really going to change this time, but they didn't so now are with the UNC again.. well it’s not really the UNC... look it's complicated ok...  

We do this while we  are still pining for our soul mate...the one  true political party that will come and make everything better.

The interesting  thing about teenage dysfunction is that though it can be crazy, annoying and chaotic, it's also perfectly normal and even necessary in  producing a functional and responsible adult.

It’s in our teenage years that we discover who we are and what we want to become. Silly mistakes, failures and false starts are all invaluable tools that help us learn and grow.

It can be the same for our society as well.

Eventually all teenagers discover the same thing.That our parents weren’t that bad, and in any case we can't blame them for our problems. That we need to take responsibility for own lives. That there  are no perfect relationships. There is no perfect political leader coming to save us, but that’s ok because our success doesn't have to depend on other people. That we don't need the approval of others. That your confidence and self worth comes from within. That life is life and we just have to make the best of it.

I am holding out hope that Trinidad and Tobago might just learn from the mistakes we are making and maybe one day we will look back at this time and view it as just a phase. I mean, we have to grow up sooner or later right?

In the meantime...Happy Independence...or whatever...

                                                             A nation of Kevins?