HEART & SOUL
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Ups and Downs of a Small Community
—by Leslie Karen Lobell, M.A.
 When asked by friends, family, and tourists about what it is like to live on an island in the Caribbean, and in particular on Providenciales, I often have spoken of "the ups and downs of paradise." Many of those ups and downs relate to the fact that this is a small community. The "downs" sometimes relate to feeling that one is "in a fish bowl." Go to lunch or dinner with someone (anyone) and rumors may be flying of torrid love affairs or mysterious business dealings. It is challenging, to say the least, to maintain a "private life" without outside interference. It is a challenge, as well, to start and build a business here without feeling as though one is under constant scrutiny. Sometimes it seems as though every success and every setback will become the fodder for gossip among one's neighbors and community members. It is a bit like the lyrics made famous by Sting: "Every breath you take / every move you make / I'll be watching you." Although, here, the "I" that is "watching you" often feels like the entire community.
There are other times, though, especially times of hardship, when the "ups" of being in a small community come to light. People really pull together to support one another in the tough times. After a fire, I have seen people donate clothing and supplies to help a sector of the community recover from its losses. The evening when my car was rear-ended and totaled by a van presumably driven by a drunk driver, a man from another vehicle helped me out of the car (fearing the car might catch on fire, he pulled me through the car window when the doors of my car wouldn't open). On that same occasion, a woman who was driving by the scene stopped to help: she offered moral support, spoke in a calming and comforting voice, and made certain that I got to the hospital. In addition, members of this community pull together in smaller, less urgent ways. For instance, I have seen many mothers of toddlers offering clothing, cribs, and other useful items to expectant mothers.
Not only is life different here in a small community… So, too, is death. Sometimes, while living in or near cities in the United States, I would witness a funeral procession. The line of cars could drive through a city in relative anonymity. Such a procession might cause a moment of reflection, but it never seemed to touch most people very personally. There is no such anonymity in a small island community like Providenciales. Every death seems to affect the community, as a whole. Death is one of those events that seems to bring the community together.
One of the most beautiful displays of what it means to have the support of a small, caring community occurred on July 4th, 2001. Between June 23rd and June 28th, two young people (a man at age 42 and a woman at age 33) had died, suddenly and unexpectedly. There was an outpouring of support for the surviving family members. A trust fund was set up to help pay for funeral and other expenses, local businesses donated items for a raffle, and people gathered to bid on the items - often paying well above retail value - to raise money for the fund to help the two families. This, I believe, is a demonstration of community at its best.
Yes, paradise has its ups and downs… Any community has its ups and downs. Sometimes, though, I have to pause and realize that the ups really outweigh the downs. I guess that is why I have chosen to make Providenciales my home.
Copyright ©2000 by Leslie Lobell
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