“Walk with your own head!!!”
By Ron Daniel
After a three week break, I am catapulted back into my writing chair to pen another piece which beseeches my readers to change our behavior. The caption above is used to encourage my readers to be independent thinkers and to encourage us to make use of our own sense, the facts as they are and the resources available to us instead of depending on others to direct our thoughts, minds and actions. In the interest of space, I will confine my article to three points although the points are exhaustive.
On the job
I have long opined that young people need to walk with their own head when they get on the job. They are hired by Mr. Jones to do a job and they get their three month probation period. Instead of trying to go above and beyond to please Mr. Jones and the company, they listen to Ms Williams who has worked there for years but does not like Mr. Jones. Ms. Williams encourages the young person not to let Mr. Jones “work you out” and so the young person starts to rebel against Mr. Jones’ orders. Meanwhile Ms. Williams can only talk behind Mr. Jones back but infront of his face, she is the model employee. Meanwhile the young employee does not pass their probation and has no job while Ms. Williams and Mr. Jones continue their working relationship. Others allow themselves to become part of workplace politics so if your friends, Kera and Ivorcia do not speak with Lornel and Trevorne then you automatically do not speak to them even if you do not know why they had a disagreement. I appeal to all youths to walk with your own head in the workplace. Your duty there is to ensure your boss is happy with your performance and to be a team player irrespective of what petty differences there are. Don’t allow anyone to sway you just like that. Work out things for yourself and make your own decisions in light of being the best employee at all times.
At church
For too long, we have allowed Pastors, deacons, friends or old people to dictate what we believe, how we behave in church and even whether or not we worship in church. As independent thinkers, it behooves us to pick up the bible for ourselves and read it. I am not knocking all Pastors but far too many of them over-interpret the scriptures and some flat out add in their own unscriptural opinion. Use websites such as bible-gateway.com and use your own study bible and understand the word of God for yourself. It makes no sense to go around thinking that Jesus was black simply because you heard someone “reason” that he had to be black. Read the bible for yourself! Some people want to clap but we are afraid what our friends will say. We want to praise God but we are afraid what the old people would say. I remember speaking to someone just last week where she said the Pastor made a great point and she was going to say “Amen” and clap but no one was doing it, so she just shut up. Utter nonsense! When you go to church, I urge you to walk with your own head.
Voting
I have spoken to many young people to ascertain their views on the issues of the day. Some simply have none and believe whatever the politicians tell them. In this age where we have websites like Google, and the CIA World Factbook (www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook) to check the factual of the statement then this cannot be good. Do not be afraid to approach them even before they approach you or bb, text, email or fb message them and ask them about their information sources. No more must one say “boy you aint hear Candidate A say that Nevis is 50 square miles” and without checking it you vote on the fact that candidate A say that Nevis is 50 square miles. Additionally we have to move away from the notion that one simply votes for the party that their parents vote for. Do the research for yourself of both candidates. Find out their history. Find out what kind of people they are. Find out about their community involvement if any. Find out about their plans for the constituency/country. Don’t waste your vote for someone who is against having geothermal energy, or you realize that they want to bring back a broke Newfound or they are against laptops for fifth and sixth formers and the recognition of senior citizens by the government unless they are 100 years. Don’t just waste your vote on a party who promotes the improbable (salmonella in water supply) or the fact that the windmills would make too much noise simply because your parents ask you to vote for the party. If you have done your own independent checks and you find the same party your parents support to be the better party then by all means do so, but please do not do so simply because they vote for that party. You must be able to say that I am voting for X because of one, two, three not because if I don’t “me parents gun disown me”. Walk with your own head in the voting booth and do what your conscience tells you is best.
If we are going to keep our jobs and get the necessary promotions, we need to be more independent in our actions. If we are going to get up and clap or sing or say “Amen” or shout “Hallelujah” don’t let anyone stop you from doing so. Don’t simply swallow what the Pastor says without back-checking your bible and don’t swallow what the politicians say without checking both sides of the story and apolitical sources. Don’t vote for a party blindly without doing your due diligence. Walk with your own head.
