Scripting our national novel

Leading up to the 60th anniversary of Independence, when I asked several people what they felt was worth celebrating, all but one had nothing good to say.

Respondents were understandably frustrated, fed up, uninspired, angry, bitter and “feeling sour” (as one person put it) about the current state of the nation. Few could pinpoint reasons for "happiness" as per the Happy Independence messages that bombarded us all via WhatsApp and social and traditional and media platforms.

At this juncture of TT’s 60th anniversary of Independence, "60" feels like a bookmark in an independently-produced novel being scripted collectively by the citizens of TT. The plot has thickened and for many, the novel has evolved into the realm of noir fiction, defined on the Master-Class website as "a subset of the broader crime fiction genre. Noir stories typically feature gritty urban settings, morally compromised protagonists, dark mysteries, and a bleak outlook on human nature."

It is safe to say that the blank pages of the next 60 years of our national existence desperately need to scripted in a way that ensures a drastically positive and empowering twist in the plot.

I asked a few "citizens on the street" about their vision of what TTcould be like in the next s60 years . . .

Woman in her 70s: “The way it’s going now, I don’t envision that it’s improving. Did education improve? What kind of children are we putting out there? It is depressing.

"Not that I will be around in 60 years, anyway.

"Nothing works...and it won’t, unless something changes radically in the government or in people’s thinking. I would like to think that there is something positive I could talk about...”

Her voice trailed off and she stared momentarily into the distance, possibly looking for some glimmer of hope in the futuristic fog.

A fitting genre for her version of the national novel would be "dystopian": dystopias are societies in cataclysmic decline, with characters who battle environmental ruin, technological control, and government oppression. Dystopian novels can challenge readers to think differently about current social and political climates, and in some instances can even inspire action." (MasterClass)

A "pensioner" (as he defined himself) standing on the sidewalk, was open to being interviewed about his thoughts on "Tobago of the future."

“Things changing all the time,” he said as I scribbled his response in my little book. “As times change, people change. You will have to keep on importing food, because no one planting food again! And just now it will have no place for car to run. Everyone getting car. Every young girl now getting car, car, car, car, car, car!”

When I asked him if he thinks someone will invent some alternative means of transport to replace cars as we know them to be, he responded: “I can’t pinpoint what they go invent yet, but yes, they go invent something.”

I imagine his treatment of the national novel would be along the lines of "realism." peppered with "historical," given his age and (no doubt) knowledge of the Tobago of the past. His writing might have a wistful tone, a longing for "the way things were," tinted with the despair of knowing that the treasured lifestyle of yore will never be revisited and could be forgotten or destroyed by future generations who favour faster and flashier lifestyles.

Three little boys, ranging in age — six, seven and nine — were eager to discuss their views on "Future Tobago" in what I would describe as a somewhat sci-fi approach...

Nine-year-old: “Plenty buildings and people in new expensive cars and big houses. And more businesses.”

Eight-year-old: “And people with rich fancy clothes.”

Six-year-old: “Floating cars.”

Me: “Interesting. Just yesterday I was thinking that we need floating cars.”

Nine-year-old: “Hoverboard cars and fast cars.”

Me: “What do you think people will be like?”

Nine-year-old: “There would be more robots.”

Six-year-old: “Yes. And I hope they don’t go crazy!”

Nine-year-old: “People would take advantage of the robots and make them go to the grocery.”

Me: “Do you think Tobago will be better with real people or robots?”

Six-year-old: “Well robots would make more sense...because all you have to do is turn them off.”

The blank pages of the national novel await our input. Regardless of genre or generation, may we find a way to script an increasingly better story.