Dear Friends, My feature address at the Guyana Tourism Awards Ceremony went down extremely well. Sustained applause. People still talking about it. I rather suspect theyll talk about it for some time. Its a lengthy speech (no, not this lengthy) so Ill share it in two parts. The feedback from the crisis communications workshop was also extremely positive. Im getting ready to head back to Barbados for a brief stopover before setting out for my next assignment. Heres part one of the speech (youre familiar with most of it). Oh, the experiences we have! Here I am in my hotel room, working on my speech. Actually, trying to work on my speech, because somehow, the ideas arent flowing, the thoughts incoherent, the phrasing disjointed. Why? Im not sure. Maybe Im tired, maybe its because it wasnt too long ago that I landed; maybe too much on my mind, maybe Im simple losing my touch; maybe its nothing at. Whatever it is, somethings lacking in this speech. So I decide to take a walk - those who know me know I walk a tad fast. To where? I dont know. And, as I teach in my communications classes, if you dont know where youre going you end up somewhere else. Fast. Often, its somewhere youd rather not go. But not today. This time I end up in the Botanical Gardens, you know. Oh, the experiences we have! By the way, is this Dr. Seuss? My daughter reminded me during the few minutes I spent with her on Monday that she read every Dr. Seuss story, his every book by the time she was eight and to this day she quotes Dr. Seuss. Often. Oh, the places she’ll go! OK, I digress. Anyway, as I walk through these beautiful gardens the music catches my attention. Compelling music. Absorbing music. Composed and performed by birds. It seems that every one of the nearly 200 species is involved in this open air concert. Theres cawing and whistling and cooing and chirping. Every caw caw, every chirp chirp, every hoot hoot, every tweet tweet, every chip chip and crack crack performed with precision, the modulation perfect. Maybe thats what I should talk about, I tell myself. “Youll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. Youll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go” Definitely Dr. Seuss. And, oh yes, the experiences we have! As I take in the sweet melody and contemplate my speech, a gentleman comes up to me. His car wont start and he wants me to give me a push. What? Me? Push a car? But I do. And as it moves I tell myself “I didnt realise I was this strong.” The engine kicks into life, the car starts. It pulls away and the man puts out his right arm and performs some sort of sign language for “thank you.” One more experience to tick off my must do before I die list, I think. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try. I continue walking these amazing gardens, enjoying the symphony. And as the sun begins to fall and darkness begins to emerge, a new chorus rises. This time its an orchestra. This melody is enticing, beckoning, calling. I can hardly resist the temptation to go in search of the creators of such amazing sounds. But they are somewhere in the distance. There must be dozens, probably hundreds of them. Every part played to perfection, every echo a gift from heaven. Love is forever here. I have to listen some more, and the chorus continues. A woman selling snacks tells me they are parrots. She doesn’t tell me what species, but it really doesn’t matter. This is music the way nature intended it. Im making my way back to the gates that keep heaven in and the hellish traffic out. An unfamiliar bird invites me to the seven ponds and the tombs of past leaders. The markings are faded. Its a struggle to determine whos buried here, but there are former governors-general and past presidents. A short-cut to heaven for their service on earth, I presume. At first I cant tell what bird it is, but I then realise its a grey heron. Its the only bird Ive seen today, everyone else in the trees singing to me. I can’t decipher the lyrics but, gosh, the melody is sweet. As I head back to the hotel, I’m thinking, whoever said paradise is lost hasn’t been here, hasn’t experience this spontaneous concert, this symphony from nature, composed and performed flawlessly by birds. This is not paradise lost, this is paradise found. Paradise is found here in the natural beauty and fascinating cultural heritage of this vast country. Paradise is found in the wealth of attributes that you offer adventure seekers, hikers, birders and eco-tourists. Paradise is found in the goldmine that you offer the history buffs, the naturalists, the anthropologists, architecture enthusiasts. And in the gold mines as well! Paradise is found in your unique and enriching holiday experience. Yes, paradise is found here. It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. You know this is Dr. Seuss. And, since paradise is found here, and paradise is calling, you must tell the world because the world needs the birds of paradise to sing to it.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:42:14 +0000