I Love Her And I Don’t Care What You Think
UPDATED NOV. 30, 2018
I’ve been in love with her from the first time I laid my eyes on her. No, I’m not talking about loving my mother, or my sister, or grandmother. But she means as much to me as these special and most important women in my life. Just like them, she has been and forever will be tied to my heart, my soul, my existence, my legacy. She has been with me from my very humble beginnings and she never lets me forget that, no matter how long I’ve not seen her or how many miles apart we may be. She and I have a bond that many of my friends and even some of my own relatives can never understand. A few of them actually envy our relationship.
From my happy childhood days growing up in a tiny village through my rebellious teenage/secondary school years, into my soul searching young adulthood living in the “heights,” to now as I’m trying to live the dream in this concrete jungle, she has remained my rock. She has been always one to inspire me, to show me that no matter how small, unknown or seemingly insignificant to others I may be, that I can make a big impact in this world. She has taught me some of the most crucial lessons in life: about family; friendships; romance; sex; fortitude; work ethic; career; sacrifice; selflessness. She helped shape my personality; my gregarious, “cool under fire” nature; my sarcastic wit; my no BS attitude; my go-getter spirit; my faith in God.
She instilled in me an insatiable appetite for my culture: from eating savory home-cooked dishes to sucking sweet raw sugar cane; from marveling at the art of double entendre in Calypso to perfecting my “wuk up” to pulsating Soca rhythms; from playing hopscotch with girlfriends to watching cricket with an entire region; from slamming tar to hopping on a ZR (maxi taxi); from scouting the gullies for tropical fruits to pick and eat, to taking a refreshing sea bath in crystal clear blue waters amidst cool breezes cascading off the Atlantic Ocean, then leaving my footprints along white sand beaches after watching a golden sunset.
She has shown by example the value of education, a good education, how I can capitalize on it to improve my situation. How I can use the knowledge gained from within academic halls to spread my wings, to see the world, how I can combine that knowledge with my experiences and my personality to build relationships, to let others see her through me. I’ve found that by letting others see her through me, I’m teaching them about a true unconditional love, about an unspoiled beauty, about pride, about industry. That I’m upholding and defending her honour, that by my living I’m doing credit to her – wherever I go. She, my world, my home no matter where I roam – Barbados.
Happy Independence Day to my beautiful homeland, the island of “Coucou and Flying Fish,” the “Gem of the Caribbean,” area code 246, national colours blue, yellow and black, 166 square miles of pure smiles. I love you, Barbados. Happy Independence! #GodBlessBim. #CelebratingBim #thankful #52notout
~ I Keep it Irie ~
Images of my love and me – paradise.:-)
Island Soul City Dreams 
Like a fat kid love cake!!!! Hahahaha! The more I’m away from her the more I love and appreciate her also. On point all the time, love that lady!!
Fuh real dread! Totally feel you A. Thanks for your feedback!:-)
There is absolutely nothing like coming home to “Di Rock”!!! I as read i reflected back to those days; she gave me some sweet days… I think of “Onward ever Upward”, the motto that I go through life living by #Parkinson The ZM i would wait hours for in town just to come up di road “milk-shaking” & “craddling” #DiCrab I think of di beach I would frequent #Miami
She treat muh too good. She too sweet, just as sweet as di Mango’s she does produce and di sweet cane. Happy Independence Day…Barbados I love she bad!!!
Awwwww, dat too sweet Murph! Fuh real, nuttin like di Rock man! Thanks for sharing some of your Irie memories. Bim tuh do world!:-)
i love it and here will always be home ……..great dedication to beautiful barbados..
Thanks so much Ty! One love.:-)
Beautifully written…. Barbados is truly blessed… We have so much to be thankful for! God bless Bim on this Independence Day and all days to follow….
Thanks you Mali! I really appreciate you reading and commenting. Indeed we are blessed and I pray that we continue to be. Much love. God bless Bim.:-)
True ting! Bim to de world! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Janice!:-) xx
I like this. Next time put up my pic so everybody could get vex and stupse! MaQuita! MaQuita! MaQuita! smooches
For sure Kim lol! Thanks dear!:-)
The one thing I can say is that I am not ashamed of who I am and where I’m from. I love Barbados to the fullest. Nice work MaQuita!!!
Amen!:-) Thanks Deon and happy Independence Day!:-)
There is always that warm fuzzy feeling when you go back to Bim…. dunno if if is when you see the island from far high in the sky or when you feel the first warm air blowing as you step of the plane……. I cannot wait to get there next year. Hoping to be there for crop over
So so true Shawn! Nothing like that sweet feeling when yuh land pon de rock! Great that you’re going for Crop Over. Put in a wuk up fuh muh lol! Girl, I’ve not gone home for the festival since I moved to NYC. It always comes down to a choice between going in the summer and going for Christmas and you know I love my Christmas in Bim lol, so I always choose the latter. Unfortunately, this year I won’t be going for the holidays. Hopefully, I can get there in the spring. Thanks as always for reading and for your feedback. Much love.:-)
So beautifully expressed, you my dear are a true daughter of the soil. I love this article. From one proud Barbadian to another, #nomatterwhereiroamBarbadoswillalwaysbehome….One Love Sis xxxxxxxxx
Awwwww, thanks my dear. You know it means a lot to hear that from you. I really appreciate you and your always thoughtful words and encouragement. Thanks so much sis. One love.:-) xoxo
Why are you not actually being funded to market our “main love”? Great job, you capture the essence of emotions many of us feel toward BIM, especially after we leave and encounter other cultures. So blessed yes!
Thanks Fabes! Yuh too sweet, made me smile. Thanks for reading, for sharing, for your wonderfully Irie vibes, I really appreciate the “love”, my friend. Bless up.:-) xx
I’m one of those Bajans who celebrate Barbados Independence from November 1 and only conclude on November. Why? I was one of those who stood in the mud to see the British flag lowered and the Bajans flag raised plus the thunderous applause of the hoisting of the flag. From there , there were bands helping us to celeb rate so it’s. nostalgic for me. It is also historical for me. I am looking forward with great joy to see Barbados celebrate fifty(50) years of Independence.I would just love the radio stations to avoid Christmas AND foreign music during the month and particularly that week of Independence.
Finally, I would appreciate an array of our National color combinations during the whole month but if not at least the last two weeks and this is for national and non-national alike
Wow, Paulette, how amazing to have witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack! I hope you have a photo or two of yourself being part of that historic moment. We should all cherish our memories of Bim from yesteryear, alas, it’s rapidly becoming less “British” and more North American.:-( I try desperately to hold onto to as many things Bajan as possible. Like you, I too look forward our 50th birthday as nation.:-) Thanks for reading and your feedback. One love my Bajan “sister”. 🙂
Excellent piece….thank you for sharing!!
Thanks so much Dwight! One Love.:-)