As I peruse the accolades being heaped upon you by the media and various other notables because of your latest and probably greatest achievement: I hope and pray that my country has finally learned how to turn your singular accomplishment into a national legacy.
I have read where the PM wants to grant you a gift of gratitude with a difference. I would like to suggest that you adhere to your desire for an opportunity to impart your wisdom and expertise to the growing number of misdirected youth of the nation.
One grows tired of reading about juvenile criminal activity by adults in the community, who have neglected their leadership responsibility. Your story like all the stories of accomplishments by other nationals is a singular one. Where were these writers, politicians and business moguls when you were honing your skills, in your front yard, without the luxury of the necessary cricket accouterments and a coach, except your father? Did they contribute to your singular dedication to achieve your personal best?
Now that your personal best has become the paragon, out of the woodwork they appear in multitude, at their laudatory best. The African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" has never been more prophetic as in these times of single parenthood and adult complacency. The youth are desperately in need of positive role models.
The introduction of athletics to children at an early age is a proven panacea for the prevention of their involvement with gangs and criminal activity. Yet the Ministry of Sport is under-funded and local businessmen would rather invest in guns than a community athletic program.
Without the conventional family background many children lack interpersonal skills. By becoming a contributing member of a team, they learn to harness interpersonal skills within a social framework thus they become contributing members of the society at large, instead of anti-social delinquents. In the end, the society wins.
I am aware of the stigma attached to the pursuit of athletic excellence in Trinidad and Tobago.
Parents would rather their children excel in mathematics or science. Nature however, did not create automatons, and the sooner we as a society begin to view each child as a separate and distinct creation of nature, with his/her own individual talents; the sooner we will find a cure for our social ills. A child whose needs are neglected will mature into a societal pariah.
The tradition of establishing lifeless monuments to the conquering hero is a legacy of colonialism, which has seen its day. Has not the current condition of our world taught us that linear thinking leads to death and destruction? Like notable comedian, Chris Rock says, "Martin Luther King stood for non-violence, yet violence is committed everyday on streets that honor him." A lifeless monument might be an appropriate posthumous token, but we need to exemplify the wisdom of our ancestors who made full use of their sages and heroes by drawing on their knowledge for the enrichment of society and future generations. This is cyclical or spherical thinking. The wisdom of the sages is recycled. In that sense, your father has done his part.
It is now your turn to step up to the proverbial wicket. Demand that your legacy become a vibrant implement for change. Not a lifeless monument relegated to parasitic moss or resurrected temporarily from the fog of the inebriated on the barstools of neighborhood social clubs or the grounds of the University of Woodford Square.
Many in society criticize without lifting a finger to contribute. Show them what it is to be; utilizing all the singular dedication you once used to become proficient in your chosen craft.
Let them decide which is nobler. "To be or not to be."