By Raymond Forrest, Contributor 
Shoppers at Central Plaza on Constant Spring Road in
St. Andrew as they prepare for the Christmas season. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
AS THE year 2004 draws to a close, many hard-working Jamaicans must be wondering what the new year will bring. Well, in the absence of a crystal ball, we can only hope that the New Year will bring a continuation of some of the
positive economic trends that surfaced during 2004. These, in essence, were significant investment projects (especially in tourism and attractions); a more stable exchange rate system; a less onerous interest rate regime (even if still too high); and a better attempt at coping with the huge fiscal burden.
What has to occur, however, to get more persons buying into this cry by government spokesmen and spokeswomen, that 'the tide has turned' or good times are around the corner', is for the micro-
economic areas of life to also show a rebound. We have to focus on getting the little things right for the big
picture to remain right (what I call micro-managing the essentials of good social and economic order).
GOOD PARENTING ROLE MODELS
We have to start with developing good parenting role models and imbibing more persons with a sense of responsibility for their offspring. Too many unwanted and abused children exist in Jamaican homes (if we can call them homes). More fathers have to 'step up to the plate' and be better providers, as well as be a more
significant presence in homes.
More mothers also need to display a greater care for monitoring their children and curbing indisciplined behaviour of their children, whether in the home, on the streets or in the schools.
For the macroeconomics to look good, we have to get better student attendance, better punctuality,
better attention paid to homework and study, so that the educational statistics can show this upturn.
INDISCIPLINE
The high levels of indiscipline, disrespect for all but close relatives and friends, and the horrific death rates, through the gun, knife or by way of motor vehicle accidents, need to decline dramatically. More persons need to cut down their speed on the roads; reduce a lot of the unnecessary overtaking (after all why try to be five minutes faster in this world and end up ten years earlier in the next world); and avoid alcoholic drinking before driving, as this would go a far way to provide a safer
travelling public. More persons also need to count to 20 before responding to perceived
infringements with curses or, even worse, violent retaliation. Who knows, maybe we can even start valuing all life among us (the poor, the indigent, the weak) and treat each other better, as how we
ourselves would like to be treated if we were down on our luck.
Greater individual focus on
cultivating better work habits would also encourage the provision of more jobs, if more persons give an honest day's labour, reduce theft of items from the work place, and took greater care of care of their employers' property. The attitude of the industrious disabled persons among us must be duplicated, where they overcome many
obstacles and still live full lives. More persons must display an
attitude that shows more interest in keeping a job, after getting a job, by making the employer wish that he/she could obtain two more employers like you. More persons must also applaud honest work even if it pays very little. Being unemployed should also not mean that 'your hand has joined a church', as that should not prevent you from doing a lot around the house, even if it is to sweep up, tidy the home, pick up the children from basic school or primary school, and even prepare a special meal for the working adult in the household (when they come home from a tiring day at work).
If we can get the micro-bits working, we can reverse the years of decay and go some way to
turning Jamaica into a better place in 2005. It has to start with me.
