To say that we, Jamaicans, are a peculiar lot would be a serious understatement. Our sayings, beliefs and proclivities are the stuff that legends are made of, and when the average ‘yard man’ holds to a worldview or philosophy, you are hard-pressed to change his mind, even if you have empirical information to the contrary.

Indeed, there are some special people that walk among us who constantly leave us baffled as to why they do and say the things they do, but as my grandmother always said, ‘common sense is not that common anymore”. Below are some things we do that really have no bearing on logic or reason, but we do them anyways. See how many you identify with.

1. How Jamaican men are said to be homophobic…but walk around with their underwear showing as if they are advertising. This prison style that has become street chic is worn by men who do not understand that it was invented in prison not only because belts were banned, but after a while, it was the calling card of those who ‘bat for the other team’ as it indicated who was ‘available’ for a good time.

2. How those

Jamaicans who went over to England all those decades ago on the ‘Windrush’ in the

1950s and 1960s still speak hardcore patois …while those who left last

October – before the snow fell – have a British accent thicker than rice

pudding!

3. Why a man

would dye his hair jet black…when everyone knows he is in his 80s and his

oldest child’s head is already greying. Who is he trying to fool? There comes a

time when a man must age gracefully and not let people snicker at you behind

your back.

4. Why as the

temperature drops a little in December we start complaining about how cold it

is yet we cannot take the heat that is ready and waiting for us come March.

5. Why we

grumble about representational politics and the lack thereof…  yet sell our votes for a token and grumble

again for the next five years.

6. Why

cooking gas always finishes on a Sunday underneath the rice and peas!

7. How a man

will abandon his wife or babymother, stop supporting his biological child …but

takes up a woman with three or four children and ‘mind’ those. If someone can explain

the rationale behind that I’m all ears.

8. How some

people scorn and ‘bun out’ pork …yet eat bacon and ham come Christmas. I

guess it is a different kind of meat altogether.

9. How some men refuse to take clean underwear off the clothes line… but delight in using their teeth to take off the one a woman has been wearing all day. I’m asking for a friend!

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of BUZZ or its employees.