May 17 at 5:00 PM ·
By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
The Malua Fonotele never came to pass this week because there was none. Remember the ‘Komiti a Toeai’ina’ called it off. Not often does that happen but it was for a worthy cause for the health security of all not just the faithful.
The talk of the ‘Fonotele’ is mostly reminiscing about what it was like when the church leaders were in conference.
The local business community felt it too. Their perspective is the loss of annual revenue normally linked to the general conference every year.
Even the veteran stall owners at the market are reflecting along similar lines as well.
The Methodist Church annual conference is coming up in a month or so and that too is called off.
The ripple effects to the local business community are no different. Missed opportunities are rued but it is an experience to be noted as conversation material next year.
If by then the coronavirus pandemic has died out the missed event will be recalled as part of the passing talk before moving onwards to new topics of interest.
Our independence celebrations are in a few weeks but that too is not going to happen.
The Head of State His Highness Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi, is expected to deliver his independence address from home.
The flag will be raised probably at Mulinu’u and when that is done ‘that’s a wrap’ as they say in show biz.
All these events and happenings will eventually become a faint blur in the far flung reaches of the memory when newer events grab the attention.
The best example will have to be that flight from New Zealand this Friday flying in around 150 stranded Samoans from Auckland.
There are already bitter sweet public reactions to the flight.
The people looking forward to the returning travellers are family members, friends and employers in both the private and public sectors.
Then we have the angry and frightened lot concerned about the coronavirus sneaking in through these returning crowd. Understandable!
The humans are the carriers of the virus – at least that is what the doctors say.
The opposing reactions will easily represent the majority but there is a smaller group who are either undecided or conciliatory.
There is another even smaller section of people who are more practical. Why waste a perfectly good worry on something better left to the doctors and the other medical people to handle?
There are other things more suited to your personal needs to worry about. Give the bitten fingernails a rest!
There is always a point reached in some issues of discussions when it gets tired and worn out. We all know that.
We are probably tired already of talking about the coronavirus after it is recycled week in and week out from the time it all started.
Remember how the measles epidemic was the talk? The coronavirus muscled in and now it too is starting to slip.
These past few weeks the controversy over Constitutional changes proposed by Government went into overdrive.
The emotional pendulum is swinging strong on the debate and will continue to do so for a while.
Once the Parliamentary Select Committee tables their report for Parliament to debate and eventually voted on, hopefully people will remember to breath.
However the final vote swings the fallout will be national. Given the outside interest already shown the reaction will overflow out of our national borders more so to our Samoan diaspora.
Today is of course Sunday and even with one church service allowed we are able to adjust and carry on as if it is routine. Of course it is a new routine but we carry on after only a brief stop to tie the loose shoe laces as they say in a sports analogy.
The word resilience jumps in here. What other choices do we have if our human survival depends on it?
Cannot say much about the other living species but they would probably have a word in their own language that corresponds to ours .
The moral of this rambling story is best described in the boxing term “stick and move.”
We do have our choices though. We can stand and grow roots from our toes or move on to explore and exploit the mysteries of what life has to offer before we kick the proverbial bucket.
Give it a thought for this Sunday.