Benny's World

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Many Rivers to Cross

Today I am posting from Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The town's name means "8 rivers". Parts of it are beautiful, some too crowded, some commercial; the people who visit are from many rivers of life. It's 85 degress and a slight breeze. I'm at an Internet cafe on a busy street in a tourist shopping area of town.

Yesterday, my spouse and I went to the Blue Mountains to go on a gravity bike ride from 4400 ft up from sea level. There were many rivers we had to cross going up the roads that obviously had been over-travelled, but the scenery was spectacular. We saw coconut and banana trees, trumpet trees, ackee (the national tree with reddish-orange skinned fruit) and some coffee trees. After lunch with some traditional jerk chicken, punch, dirty rice, etc, my spouse and I went down on a tandem bike. We passed many waterfalls--somewhere around 30 something we were told. It was gorgeous, filled with wonder by ourselves and the people we whizzed by, anywhere from a man who had a bunch of bananas stacked on his cap on the top of his head, to those playing games of dominoes, the country's favorite past-time next to soccer and cricket. These folks are not unhappy but they need more work and at the same time, want to keep it simple. The children play in the parks and people talk in front of businesses. Goats and dogs wonder the yards, but participate in their sense of community.

On the way back to my resort I saw a rainbow and thought, I wish the rainbow really means hope . My hope was one senator will step up and speak out for the rest of us back in the States. We have to be the model of democracy. I got my wish I see today Senator Boxer decided to vote yes in joining Reps Conyers and Tubbs-Jones. It does represent hope for us, as well as the people here, and the numerous Europeans, who think 59 people are still unwise in voting for Bush. As Bob Marley, the Reggae king would say, "Stand up for your rights." Way to go Sen Boxer!

This afternoon, one couple was getting married this afternoon at 2:30 and the bride said her father was a friend of JRE's. She and he were not happy about JRE not being on the top of the ticket. Even some Bushies I met said they couldn't vote for Kerry but if JRE had been on the top of the ticket, they would have voted for him. Why they couldn't see he was a big part of the package I'm not certain.

Tuesday afternoon, it dawned on me and this morning both that John Edwards was out of a senator's job. I had some tears about it. However, he and Elizabeth have many rivers to cross, but with our help, we can do it together.

"I've got many rivers to cross and it's only my wind that keeps me alive I've got so many rivers to cross, oh, so many rivers to cross... " some lyrics from my favorite Jamaica-born lyricist, Jimmy Cliff.

John and Elizabeth, you are our wind, and we are yours.

Littlemore (pronounced look a more)...meaning later (or latah)...in Jamaican