Dennie Quill, Contributor
IMAGINE THIS scene. Scores of Jamaicans and a few overseas guests gather under gray, threatening skies. Young men move about purposefully cleaning chairs that were sprayed by earlier rains. A steady drizzle develops and a few umbrellas open up. All is calm, there is no stampede. Those without umbrellas sit bravely through it all. And with the arrival of Governor General and Lady Cooke, the show gets on the way.
Sweet Christmas music rings through the air, a steel orchestra is thrown into the mix. And there was Lt. Commander John McFarlane who hit the kind of heights that many crooners only dream of scaling as he delighted with two numbers from his Christmas CD. The choir and massed bands harmonise delightfully well. Those selected to read lessons delivered well. Perhaps the one blight on the occasion was the ragged Christmas tree on the eastern end of the grounds.
This scene is being played out at Up Park Camp, an oasis in the bustling city, where the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is staging its annual Carol Service. For years this offering of music, scripture readings and homilies has served to bring Christ's birth closer to the people. The service has remained superb and for many it is a must on their calendar of festive events. And yes, some things really are free. From the comments one hears, people are deeply impressed by this service.
As expected of the military, the programme comes with certain instructions advising people to be seated 15 minutes before the start of the proceedings and there was this written in bold - 'No applause is permitted during this service.' Those instructions were followed to the letter. The chattering masses who are known to ignore all such exhortations at graduation ceremonies and other functions, sat still. I believe I heard one cell phone ringing, just about the time when an army officer whispered something to Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson, which pulled her from her seat. We now know why she had to leave so abruptly.
PROGRAMMES
Anyway, back to Tuesday's function. There was also another instruction that patrons take their programmes with them at the end of the service. Apparently everyone obeyed, because I did not see one programme on the ground. I have attended many such Carol Services before and I am pretty sure the instructions were always there, but on Tuesday night it struck a chord in me. Jamaicans can exhibit the traditional politeness and good behaviour that used to be consonant with our country not so long ago.
And while Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and Mr. Burchell Whiteman struggle to get the 'Values and Attitudes' programme accepted nationally - here at Up Park Camp was a perfect demonstration that we can follow instructions and we can leave behind our crass and coarse behaviour and we can escape being routinely depicted as lawless, uncouth people. Yes, we can obey instructions and park where we are directed and we will not stack two or three chairs on top of each other so we can see and we won't stand on the chairs. There are no lighters flashing in the air. There is no gun salute. There is no ganja scent assaulting our nostrils. No vendors are bobbing and weaving between the aisles. In short, an oasis of what the rest of Jamaica ought to be.
IMPROVEMENT
Now I am not making out that all was perfect, one can always improve anything with a little tweaking here and there. But by most yardsticks the event was properly organised and well-executed. Jamaicans everywhere can mirror the behaviour and attitude of members of the JDF and return our country to the level of civility it once enjoyed.
I submit that it all comes down to leadership. At all levels we need to demonstrate better leadership. In the home, there should be guidelines and rules and there should be consequences if there are violations. Similarly in schools, at the work place, in the church, on the fields of play, there is an urgent need for bold leadership that is not afraid to censure and punish when it is necessary. We need to get rid of vacillators and wishy-washy leaders. This is the only way we can ever hope to get back on track.
Christmas is a good time to do some stocktaking. And we need to recognise that behind the shiny surface of Christmas celebrations lie the bitter realities of a crime-infested society where killings, robberies and other anti-social behaviour have made many lives miserable and stained Jamaica's reputation over the years.
We are a disjointed society and we need to come together and strive to build better lives so that our children will inherit a great land.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at Denniequill@hotmail.com.
