Former Minister reflects on life after contracting COVID-19

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“Seize the day, Trinidad and Tobago, do not put off what you wanted to do.”

This is the outlook of Robert Le Hunte who is now managing director of ANSA Bank Ltd. The former People’s National Movement Minister shared his new point of view last Sunday after contracting COVID-19 while in Ghana during Christmas.

“I have a story,” Le Hunte said, “And it is all of our stories for the last 18 months in this time of COVID.”

“Once upon a time, we all devoted our energies to planning and strategizing for the future, in our personal lives and in our careers. In business, there’s always the Annual Strategic Plan. The National Budget is the country’s annual development roadmap.

“Most of us begin every New Year with a wish list of resolutions. I wonder how many of any of those well-intentioned goals actually come to pass. Some get sidelined with other more pressing requirements. Some we may think are too ambitious. Some simply get postponed to another year.”

But Le Hunte said the pandemic has forced everyone to adopt a new style of managing what they intended to do, whether people like it or not.

“Most of us don’t want to change because we’re creatures of habit. But we’ve had to become flexible. Fluid. Less rigid and definite. We plan for contingencies instead of certainties.

“Will we be able to travel? Can we arrange the marriage reception of our dreams? Will our children be allowed back in school so we can focus on our jobs? Can we depend on the supply chain for our business? Maintain full staff? Will our health system cope with new virulent variants?”

The former Minister explained his insight came from recent plans to spend Christmas with his Ghana-born wife’s family in Ghana.

“We’d never done it and it was important for us to do it. We decided that, despite the travelling risks, we’d take the necessary precautions but would make the trip while we could. We did not know what the future might hold.

“So we went. And were so glad we could spend time with family we hadn’t seen in over two years. If you lost family or friends due to the virus, as I have, it really brings home what is important. Nothing reinforces the value of life itself more than when we have first-hand experience of just how fragile it is.”

Le Hunte who was fully vaccinated, contracted COVID-18 while in Ghana.

“I consider myself fortunate my symptoms were mild, but I was still anxious. When you have ‘intimations of mortality’, as Wordsworth called it, you begin thinking about all those plans you made and shelved to examine another day.

“Often those ring-bound plans in their fancy covers simply join the other plans from previous years, gathering dust. So what I’m going to do, and my wish for all in this New Year is to seize the day. Take down from the shelf all those plans, desires, wishes, resolutions and good intentions. Start to do them. Now.”

Le Hunte added, “None of us can guarantee tomorrow will conform to our expectations. Take all the necessary precautions while living in the moment and remember the way to be happy is to make others happy and we’ll have a little heaven right here. My deceased mum’s favorite saying.”

He advised, “Give selflessly of yourself and leave the rest to God your Creator. I wish everyone a most fulfilling 2022.”

—Gail Alexander