Stella says…I think it was the sex article that pushed him overboard

by Stella Ramsaroop

(Originally published in the Kaieteur News on 19 Jan 2006)

On Monday I went to put Peeping Tom's new email address into my computer's address book (I forgot to do so the first time it was announced). The first entry section was for the person's first name, so I typed in Peeping. The second section for entry was for the person's last name, so I put Tom.

Then I realised that “Tom” is not really his last name and perhaps Peeping Tom should all be in the first name section and I gave him no last name. In any case, I am now ready to email Peeping Tom about all of my concerns regarding Guyana , should the mood ever strike me. Not that it ever has yet.

However, it seems that my new best friend, David Jenkins, emailed Peeps when the letter he wrote to the editors of all three dailies did not get published. David sent me a copy of his open challenge early last week too. He really wanted it published, but Peeps was right David, I think it was the second word of the first paragraph that kept your letter out of the papers.

David was so desperate to get this challenge published that he inadvertently emailed it to my husband, who had already read it because I forwarded it to him when I received it. My husband told Mr. Jenkins in no uncertain terms that he owed me an apology for the second word in the first paragraph. Jenkins apologised and has been sending me pictures of his lovely family ever since.

However, he and my husband had an exchange of emails in which David revealed his real reason for being so upset. Although he told Peeps, “I am baffled that she gets away with open attack on Guyanese personalities,” - he told my husband that he couldn't imagine how a woman is allowed to get away with such a thing.

So it was a woman thing. David has no problem with Freddie or Peeps “attacking” Guyanese personalities – just the woman columnist. It is suspicious that David's fuming open challenge came immediately after one of my Sunday columns that explained how much women like sex too and should expect to be as satisfied as their husbands.

I may be wrong, but I think it was the sex article that pushed David overboard. I think that was when he decided that something needed to be done about this opinionated (insert the second word of the first paragraph) before I contaminated the rest of the world.

At least he acknowledged that I am non-partisan in the inclusion of all the political parties when doling out critiques, he just didn't like the fact that a woman was allowed to speak her mind on such things. God forbid that women should start acting like they have a place in society. What's next? Will animals start having rights too?

David also told my husband that he sympathised with him because he has to be married to me. Funny, I never hear my husband complain. In fact, he seems to be quite happy – and he let David know as much. What is this world coming to when men start finding smart, opinionated and sassy women attractive?

Peeps might want to be careful though; David may soon demand a “close-up 5 x 7” of him to be printed in “all the newspapers in Guyana ”. This could prove to be problematic for Peeps. Or maybe that request is only for the woman columnist too. Boy, I just get all kinds of special treatment, don't I?

Don't be jealous, guys. You are all special in your own way too. Especially the writer of the “Dem Boys” column. The columnist said I was on the right side of 40. Does that mean there is a wrong side of 40? And that Freddie is on the wrong side? If so, does that mean that I am always right and Freddie is always wrong? Don't answer that Freddie, you might be wrong.

Freddie was being a big brother again this week and warning me not to trust the PNCR. He is just so sweet. Freddie is watching out for me and I appreciate that. However, I'm not sure if he is afraid that I can be too naïve at times or if he is just protecting me from being the PNCR's mouthpiece. Either way, it's good to know that he has my back.

Speaking of the PNCR, Hamley Case sent me their anti-crime initiative a few weeks ago and I wrote a column in review of their strategy. However, I just found out that this column was not published. I wrote it around the holidays and things were a bit crazy during that time, so I think it must have inadvertently got lost in the fray.

In short, the strategy was good except for one very ominous omission – a detailed outline for combating crimes against women. Mr. Case dropped me another email this week letting me know that they are hard at work on this faux pas and will send me the amended initiative for review when it is done. (I can see Freddie shaking his head already).

I noticed a letter to the editor about me from Kinda Monkhouse last Monday too. Kinda maintained that I should take Peeps' New Year's advice and concentrate on social issues more than political ones. I like a woman who speaks her mind, Kinda. David doesn't like that though, so I'd walk lightly when he visits Guyana . I have thought about your suggestion and came to a conclusion.

As a rule, my columns tend to lean more toward social issues already. I do hit on political issues here and there as well, but mostly when political and social interests collide. I cannot go into as much depth as I would like to concerning political issues, since I am at a disadvantage in getting the first hand information necessary to make a serious analysis. Therefore, most of my political contributions are an overview of a general situation.

By the way, Kinda, pretty women can talk about politics too. In fact, more women in general need to talk about politics. Specifically, more Guyanese women need to talk about politics. That is when more people will take an interest in the nation's women's issues.

However, I am simply not a human-interest type of person - sorry. I do attempt to cover women's issues at least once a week or so. I understand that there is a difference between women's interests and women's issues, but again, I'm just not a women's interests type of writer either…though I do think women's issues should be of interest to women.

Would it make you happy if I shared my chocolate chip cookie recipe with you (I make the best ones in the world) or told you about the pair of shoes I scored at a great price the other day? If so, I'll try to work those titbits into my tedious women's issues articles and my fluffy political attacks.

Email: Stellasays[at]gmail.com