I am avoiding the news.
There is so much disruption and discord in the world today, it’s unsettling to stay informed. It makes me feel uneasy to read about the rising active coronavirus cases in the world. While the rising death toll figure in the country where my parents and siblings live, contrasts against the mixed messages in media headlines from the same country, designed to soothe, or confuse. I want to stay informed; but not too much.
The other thing I am avoiding is dwelling on the past, the days before covid, now affectionately termed “BC”. Today, in the Cayman Islands, it is a public holiday. We call it “Discovery Day” – the day of celebration of exploration, global travel and wonderment, when in 1503 Christoper Columbus sailed, trans-Atlantic, in search of gold, to come upon a collection of desert islands surrounded by a sea so rich with turtles it looked as if it were boiling. He named the islands “Las Tortugas” (the sea turtles) before he sailed past. Years later the name was changed to “Los Lagartos” (alligators), and later still “Las Caymanas” , the local Carib name for the crocs that inhabited the shores. There’s a theme here, naming our islands after the inhabitants. Were our nation to be renamed this century, would we be called “Los Pescadores” or “Las Iguanas”? “Los Turistas” wouldn’t work. Not anymore.
A Cayman public holiday is traditionally a time when Caymanians celebrate their heritage, and Discovery Day in particular focuses on the environment and connecting with nature. This generally involves spending the day in boats on the water, catching fish, drinking ice cold Caybrew or Corona beer. We do like a public holiday here. So much that we have eleven of them lined up for 2020, that must all be observed, by law. In our new Covid Age, we have been banned from boating, fishing and walking on public beaches during lock down. It’s been painful for a nation of fishermen and beach-people to give that up. I imagine it’s been even more painful for the Premier to listen to our people’s objections. He did let us keep drinking beer though; thank goodness. But this Holiday Monday, people are firmly out of the water, sorting through fishing gear, stocking up with Caybrew and bags of ice, and cursing the Corona for spoiling all our fun.
But there is hope. Tomorrow all this changes. Fishing will be allowed, boats will be back in the water with rods attached, beaches will reopen to the public. We will stock our coolers with beer and ice and head out to sea. You can feel the excitement in the air. It’s a step in the right direction. A certainty in the uncertain time.
Tomorrow is not a holiday in The Cayman Islands, but I have a feeling it will be a day of hope and celebration. Just make sure you’ve got rods on board.
