Amidst the heat of the upcoming general election and the upsurge of entertainment in Dominica, I choose to do what many other right minded 24 year old Dominicans would probably do in such a crisis. Step aside and look away.
It may sound disappointing and you may wonder, why Nicki? Why would someone like you do such a thing? Why not get involved? Why not let your voice be heard? But just hear me out for a bit, I might have something to say. I chose to step away because for now it is the most sensible and beneficial thing to do.
Let’s look at it this way, maybe it will help. The championship football game is on. Each team has a superstar striker looking to be MVP and win a world coveted trophy. The other players have their own missions: fame, money, popularity, security, whatever, and it’s all happening on a playing field. You however, are not a football player. You just like the playing field. It’s beautiful. The grass is always green and the air is fresh. It calms you down. The only problem is that the footballers must play football on it. No matter what, there will always be football.
Now this football game, it’s nasty. These guys are serious about it and they don’t care about you, the people in the stands. All they care about is football. The footballers are celebrities as you would know, and they’ve got some real fans out in those stands. Fans who wear their branded paraphernalia, repeat their slogans, love them and even pray for them at night. These fans though, do not play football. Surprisingly, they actually don’t know the first thing about it. They don’t know and wish not to know the life of a footballer either. They just love them because they play football. They don’t understand why the footballers play football. Hey, they’ve probably never even sat down to think about football. They do not win any trophies, because they are not a part of the game. They are fans, after all.
Meanwhile, the footballers continue to do what they do best: PLAY. They also have great publicity skills. They do all that they can to rope those fans in because they need them. Much more so than it would be vice-versa. There is no football without the fans.
Please remember that in this hypothetical situation, you are not a fan. You are simply a passer-by who just loves that damned playing field. There’s good news, though. You are not alone. They’re others just like you, who love the playing field too and are smart enough not to fall within the category of a ‘fan.’ The bad news is that these ‘others’ are the minority and it’s very frustrating trying to turn fans into others. It just doesn’t work. It’s a psychological and culturally embedded thing. These ‘others’ must be born that way. They must be cultured into thinking like an ‘other’. They must have a new outlook on the game and the playing field. For left up to the fans, football would go on without a referee forever and the MVP would be treated like a God.
Now the championship game is still on and is going to be over in 90 minutes and one team is going to emerge as victor, while the other will not and will have no choice but to await the next, where it will hopefully implement new strategies to win that game.
Luckily, the population of ‘others’ is growing and it seems that there may be enough soon to be able to do something about that stupid football game. Calm it down a bit. Make it the way it should be, so that football can be played while uplifting the playing field and making the most use of its resourcefulness in order to benefit those whom it belongs to.
In a matter of time this can happen, but in reality it cannot happen now. Remember, we only have 90 minutes until the game ends. Then it’s next year’s season all over again, until the championships. So what do you do? Do you rally for football? Do you become a temporary fan? Do you allow yourself to get frustrated by their ignorance and vulnerability? Do you over exert yourself unnecessarily, knowing that your efforts will be futile? What do you do?
You do like any ‘other’ like-minded individual would do. You step aside and look away. You just enjoy your playing field in the ways that you can for now and wait patiently for the day when such a predicament will have been dealt with. That day is soon, so the time waited and self-restraint will be worth it.
And that, my dear friends should have hopefully explained to you why myself, and ‘others’ choose to do what we do. Why we choose to let the fans have their fun, gobble up the media goodies from this election and when it’s all done, return to their life, unchanged and unimproved. I hope you still don’t see this decision as disappointing, for we know better will soon come, when the time is right and we can actually do better. But for now, this really is the most sensible and beneficial thing that we can do.
Hakunamatata,
Nicky
i enjoy your article ……….i believe each vote is important but for now change is not better …sad to say
I totally agree. I am at a cross roads. While I want to vote, I compare both representatives and they are both incompetent. Such a shame. I listened to a live convention the other night and was so embarrassed that this is what politics is I’m dominica. Only maypwe. These adults are acting like kids. Setting no example. I too feel like unless a new party with devoted intelligent and innovative people come forward I will remain undecided and uninterested in voting. I want to take out the guy whose already there but according to my friend above, change isn’t always better.
Cleverly written, but all the others must, while waiting remember to score their own goals by voting, in the best interest of the field they love so much. Do not be swayed by colour of your team,but by what you know is right for the field.
Good writing Nikki! I see you continue to drink Glo-coco
. Not bad, not bad 
Hmmm. But be reminded that Change Is A Must!
Assertive, NOT Aggressive!
If you take no action now – what exactly are you “waiting” for? Nothing will come if many of the ‘others’ decide to do nothing. They will have to ‘do nothing’ every time the 90 minute championship game is on. When will there be a change? You see (I am 26) not too much older than you and I think the ‘others’ who love the playing field should organize and strategize to change the game. Even if they cannot change THIS game in 90 minutes they should meet and decide a new path so that the next championship is played by different rules. Actually what the ‘others’ need to do is make sure those two teams don’t make it to the championship again and that fans learn to appreciate a new way to play – a way that appreciates the field. Just saying – doing nothing… expect nothing in return.
I enjoyed your article. I must say… the bible defines sin as having the knowledge of sin and still committing sins. Before Eve ate the apple their was no knowledge of sin… now we know. Living in DA, hearing the gossip yet ascertaining the facts its obvious voting UWP is a sin… don’t be a sinner VOTE LABOUR!
Great piece Nikki. It is a softer piece to read on the election topics I must say. I also want to applaud my previous commentators. This is how a comment should be directed at someone when in an agreement or disagree with the writer. Not all these name calling, bashing and belittling of others because one don’t hold the same view as you do.
“Evil thrive when good me (and women) do nothing!
Better will not come unless people get involved and start caring.
Oh Nicki, since I took time off to read your article, I should comment. I see the innocence and disappointment that you express. Me too have agonized considerably on the situation and I am tempted to adopt your approach but I cannot and should not because five years of your life is at stake and your single voice can help.
For the first time ever, the contradictions in Dominica are so obvious. There is no space for being I the middle, you are either for or against. Stand up and make a choice for your country.
great dodge nicks you are surely a writer, i truly believe that writing is like being a gambler, you got know when to hold, know when to fold them no when to walk away and know when to run. Never count your money when you sitting at the table. Looking forward to seeing you come December 10th.
I like this, I really like this. The article, the two comments thus far. There is no attempt to tear down anyone or insult or denigrate. Just people sharing the opinion, agreeing to disagree. Why cant it always be this way? Why is there always that will to call other silly names because they share an idea or opinion different from ours?
Lord help us
Great comment but the comment to the comment is a sort of disconnect to reality. Complacency because of age is head in the sand as it’s the young that has the most to lose. Non-participation itself is participation with an end result. It in itself helps choose the winner or loser just look at the US were the young did not participate in mid term elections and now they will be the worse for it.
Dear Nicki:
First and foremost, I must commend you on your writing which is very good. However, I must tell you that your analogy is a bit off. Why? Because in your hypothetical situation a football game is being played on the field you love. You do not care much about the game so you are simply waiting for it to be over so that you may move on with your life. In your scenario each team has a leader vying for the position of MVP and the rest are playing for their personal gains, be it fame, money or just for fun.
What you fail to put into context is that this “Championship” game DOES have a significant effect on the lives of each and every one of these “fans” and even on the lives of the “others” like you who choose to take no interest in the game. You see, Nicki, the MVP of this “game” and his team gets to decide what happens to the very landscape of our precious “playing field”. Furthermore, each “fan’s” life, the lives of their children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins etc. who call this playing field their home is invested in the outcome of this great “Championship” game.
Nicki, my dear, this “game” is not being played for fun. This “game” is being played for the livelihood of these very “fans” who choose to take a keen interest in its outcome; and sadly enough it is also being played for the livelihood of “others” like you who do not believe that the “game” is an important one or that it will affect your life in any way!
Thus, if you truly care about that “playing field” you would also care about the outcome of this game as it may well determine if our playing field will be well maintained and beneficial to everyone or left abandoned and overgrown with grass…fit only for the cows and goats who continue to get fat on it while the rest of us stand on the side praying for another “football” season to start. If only that we may see the field clean again. Thank you, Nicki. May God bless and guide you always!!!!
Very good comment. But I remember when I was 24 like nicki is now, and I also, like most of my friends at the time, were too busy with our social lives to think about politics. It was really only when I had my children that I realized how important it is (as you describe it). So in defense of her innocence, and one that I think all young people should enjoy, I think it is important that we, the older folks, take up the slack and vote more responsibly as we keep nicki and the other little ones in mind. (Keep up the good work nicki)
That’s very true.. I too cared very little about who won the ‘game’ when i was young. I was only interested in the next lime and ‘sewo’…working 8-4, paying taxes, building a home and the birth of my child definitely changed my ‘wait and see’ attitude for sure.
I think this attitude has a lot to do with our school curriculum. If Civics were taught in our schools, more young people would have a sense of patriotism, a sense of pride in the voting process in their country, and they would definitely know more about what it means to select the ‘MVP’ as Nikki puts it to run our affairs.
I was the complete opposite. From the age of about 14 I was involved in a youth group in our village and I always thought taking a keen interest in politics was important to me. To this day, I will not miss voting.
Even when I know I will be away during an election, I make sure to vote in advance to ensure my vote counts. That right is too important not to exercise.