Native Pride National Passion

By Stanford O. Lewis

Whether you are a native, tourist or unwitting visitor to St. Kitts-Nevis or never visited, you will enjoy this book. It is a memory rewind of life back in the day, a look at the present and whats needed for the future. You will experience some of the personalities of the past, unforgettable events, some history and culture, the stuff that makes St. Kitts-Nevis unique. Some thoughts are a replay, a soul searching into the nations consciousness while others are guaranteed to make you laugh. After 30 years of Independence with so much to celebrate, the author has taken time out to reflect:

A foundation for future empowerment
Everyone needed for national development
The able, the willing, those who care
Have an obligation to contribute and share
Dont depend on outside contribution
Sacrifice for the good, a better nation


This work was also inspired by native pride, national passion . That is why:
Whenever I make a trip
Ah tell everybody
Ah from St. Kitts-Nevis
And Ah boasting wid it

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491803967

Stanford O. Lewis

Stanford O. Lewis, a native of St. Kitts-Nevis, is a Senior Technical Architect with AT&T Labs. In 2011, he was the recipient of a Special Recognition Award from the Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) from the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Professional Award Committee for outstanding engineering accomplishments. He is the author of “Things Left Behind” and “Nothing But Time.” This is his third book.

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© 2013 by Stanford O. Lewis. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/14/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-0395-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-0396-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013914306

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Introduction

SKN Needs You

Ah Boasting Wid It!

Still Boasting About It

Which Way to Go?

Twenty Years

Cruising Memory Lane

Betterment Come

Start de Bacchanal

You Had To Laugh

Back to Sugar City

Small Days Done

Fort Street Dey Coming

Half Pound A Salt Fish

Joe Round de Corner

We Going Back

How Far Back?

Resurrection

Blue Horizon

Is Me Barning Land

Am Going Home

Dedicated to those who never

received recognition that was due

Introduction

Perhaps it was long overdue as I was often reminded and asked by many of my readers: when is the next piece coming? And, perhaps there is no better time than the present as the world says congratulations to the Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis on the 30th year of Independence. There is so much to celebrate as the nation reflects on its past, its achievements and future goals.

I attended the 29th Independence Service celebration at Crawford Methodist Church in the Bronx, New York and was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. Weeks later, the thought entered my mind about what plans might be in place for the landmark 30th celebration prompting the writing of a poem: SKN Needs You.

But more importantly, I started thinking how far The Federation has come since we arrived on these islands and what has been achieved, achievements that are sometimes masked, under-appreciated and often taken for granted. St. Kitts-Nevis is still a new nation. Thirty years is but a drop in the bucket of nationhood, so in reality, nation building is a long road ahead. Much has been accomplished within the short time but much more needs to be done. During this early period in the Federation’s history, the call is for all nationals to contribute, all hand to the plough.

This work is also the result of my interest in the historical, present and future cultural landscape. As the nation celebrates thirty years, it is also important to preserve our heritage. It is therefore a celebration of those whose dedication, talent and contributions created a foundation, advancement, a tradition and a proud legacy. It is in part a reflection of the national consciousness, historical milestones, personalities, events, stories and accounts across a broad spectrum; a reminder how far we have come and where we are going. It does not cover every contributor or every event but focuses on some, hopefully enough to capture and reflect the essence of individual and collective contributions that gave birth to a unique Kittitian-Nevisian experience.

As with all my work, this too was an exercise in time management, intermittent convenience, dedication and commitment. Poetry is not exactly my forte but I welcomed the challenge. The result, a montage of experiences, history, recollections, thoughts,