Monday will give everyone in the Cayman Islands the chance to sit back and reflect on how we got where we are.
It’s Discovery Day; the day the commemorates Cayman’s first mention in recorded history when Christopher Columbus logged his sighting of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman on 10 May, 1503.
It is appropriate to set aside a public holiday for reflection and remembrance of our discovery each year.
But this year it is especially poignant, coming on the heels of an intense election that found one party discovering that its policies are no longer welcomed and another discovering that its ideas and ideals are what the voters believe are needed to take this country forward.
After the intense activities of campaigning and electioneering, the long weekend will be appreciated.
Even as we observe the historic discovery, it is an opportunity for rediscovery of our islands, our neighbours and, indeed, ourselves.
We can examine our collective and personal deficiencies, count our blessings and think about where we go from here.
The election results from Wednesday’s polling give us a good start.
The People’s Progressive Movement has a manifesto that appealed to the masses. We must all work with the new Government in deciding where in fact we do go from here.
But rediscovery is more than just about making a political change and moving forward. It’s also about the lessons each of us who experienced Hurricane Ivan learned.
That storm taught us we had hitherto undiscovered strengths as individuals.
We have learned new skills and developed new attitudes. We found out who our true friends are.
We say we admire Cayman’s first settlers for their tenacity, perseverance and ingenuity.
As we reflect on them and the discovery of this country we need to figure out ways to adopt the characters of our forefathers.
If we don’t remember, reflect and appreciate where we came from, we can’t very well chart our future.
Happy Discovery Day Monday.
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