The people and things have changed.

Introduction                       

I grew up in the 70s and 80s and although we did not have much growing up, I believe many of us long for the days of yesteryear. Our communities were closely knitted, where everybody knew everybody, and everybody looked out for everybody. We even accommodated strangers and foreigners and treated them like locals Likewise, the strangers and foreigners assimilated with the locals.

We were not aware of any gangs. People lived for a very long time. There were hardly any crimes. Even though there were fights among families and neighbours, there were reconciliations. We were kind to another. We love one another. We share with one another.

Many of us did not have any transportation. We walked where we wanted to go to. We did not have a lot of money, but we could have credit and borrow from our neighbours or the stores.

We believed in God and went to Church religiously. When our parents could not go, they made sure the children went.

I believe our past way of living made our society peaceful, caring and loving. As a result, we did not experience the things we are experiencing now.

We have changed.

Our population is now more than five (5) times it was when I was growing up. We are now the minority instead of the majority. People have migrated here, and they have brought their customs and way of life here and we have someone who accepted their way of life rather than maintaining our traditions.

Another thing is though we have had our ups and downs with our families and friends, we did not stay mad for long. I don’t know if it is because we needed each other so much and so we did not stay mad for long. Nowadays we are so independent that we don’t need each other and so continue to hold grudges against one another for long. We are so divided like never before and over simple things. Maybe most of us were in the same position growing up and perhaps that is why were not too jealous over other people’s things. Today we have so much and there is spirit of jealousy causing division and fighting among us. Families are now strangers.

I think one of the greatest changes in our society is our faith in God. While we are now being educated more about the word of God compared to the past but despite the education, many of us are not going to church or listening to the word of God. As a result, we are faced with a major spiritual issue in our country where it reaches a point where some of us no longer believe in God. I believe this is one of the main reasons why we are the position we are in today because there is no fear of God.

Consequently, societies throughout the world are experiencing crimes like never before. Who would have ever imagined that the Turks and Caicos would have so many murders in a year? This is taking place because we have changed. There are people in this country that have infiltrated our society and our murdering people like what they did in their home country. In addition, their behaviours are influencing the local behaviours and as a result locals are doing the same.

Some of these crimes are taking place also because we have become greedy. We were not greedy growing up. We accepted the things we had or borrowed what we needed. Nowadays we will kill or destroy others to get what we want.

We respected the laws and the officers of the law, but today some of us have no respect for the laws. In fact, some of us do not want any laws. We want a lawless country where people can do what they want to do and not be held accountable or be punished for their crimes.

Conclusion

Let us stop asking why we can’t be like what we were before. How can we when we are not the same?  We are no longer the Turks and Caicos we used to be. We are no longer a small place that is undeveloped.

We have changed and that is why our country is the way it is. However, it is not too late to return to our principles of morality, loving one another, sharing with one another, and fearing God. If we can change our ways, then we can change a country. Anytime is possible but we must change in order to get a different result.