that quote keeps my attention for i think, yes, it is a loss of capacity for development, Pat Bishop's death, but so was the national, state, elite, populist ignoring of her, her ideas and talents...
was she not ignored?
as so many other persons filled to overbrimming with ideas, visions and possibilities?
just needing an audience, a platform, funding and an army to implement?
Just like Dr. Kenny?
why do we not do what these people say, want and ask, forthwith, when they say?
why do we wait till their death to say how great they were. when our actions, engagement and covenant with them speaks volumes, otherwise
i have been thinking on this.
we are so hopelessly minute, selfish and paralyzed to think and do different, from family members to private citizens to government
like i think, did Pat;'s sister know who Pat was, what she had in her hands and brain? while Pat was living? Did she ever think to store, capture, prepare for this day? allow someone, others to enter in and start archiving? why do we wait for death, as if we know not death. I think that is the height of childishness. or is it that we fear self promotion?
it is hard. a hard muse. a difficult muse
makes me think of my 2000 book library. I knew it was a treasure. but see, little black african girls dont have treasures, such treasures, not libraries and certainly not ones that should be donated and archived, protected and promoted, so it was bizarre of me to talk of that in 2003
when i came to trinidad, had not even known much of Minshall, just hearing how carnival was no longer the same, and found myself sitting next to him at a function, and i introduced myself (hm, i wonder if i did)...but in any case, i leaned over and told him, asked him, are you writing your story? you should write your story. i am not sure what he said..but i seem to remember even then, his own surprise, like i was giving him a new thought, a surprising thought, a story, was the thought in his head in a quizzical manner, but also a regroup to say, yes, it is in the offing...i seem to recall. they are always going to do it when you mention it, but then death comes, and it is not done.
i could kind of see the same thing with a Pat in this country>laughter, mirth, derision and flagellation if she were to suggest the ordering of her own mind, hand and work for posterity/ so now we struggle, all in silent camps thinking what can be done. but wondering, i do, if it ever will
yes, we have lost a great piece and contributor to our national development, but the point was we are undeveloped, douen, premature, and breech because we ignore the real and true titans while they live. preferring to worship instead, the empty tins.
If you want to know who Pat Bishop:
http://www.google.tt/search?q=who+was+Pat+Bishop&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
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