Actual Blackberry Messenger conversation from November 2012

DR: What’s up, fowl?

TCF: D Sky.

DR: I need you to help me with some canvassing tomorrow.

TCF: Where?

DR: Knapton Hill.

TCF: Knapton Hill? You do know that hill is very, very steep, right?

DR: Yea, I know, but we have to knock on every door.

TCF: Yea, OK. Just have a big bottle of Lucozade for me.

The next day I met my friend, Senator Diallo Rabain, at Cleveland County Cricket Club at 9am and, along with Roddy Burchall, we spent the next two days knocking on every door along the northern side of Knapton Hill in Constituency 7 (Hamilton South).

Along the way, we met many persons who invited us into their homes to discuss their concerns and hear what Sen Rabain had to say for himself. From time to time, we found persons not at home and left his pamphlet and calling card in the doorway.

Unfortunately, despite the tireless work, the election results did not quite favour Diallo.

Despite this, he dusted himself off and became the Progressive Labour Party’s Senate leader, helping to groom “Generation Next” senators Marc Daniels and Renee Ming.

It is under his leadership that they have become a highly effective Senate team.

Actual WhatsApp conversation December 2015

DR: What’s up, fowl?

TCF: D Sky.

DR: I need you to help me with some canvassing tomorrow.

TCF: Where?

DR: Loyal Hill.

TCF: You know the deal, my brother. Just have my Lucozade.

DR: Later, fowl.

Over the past few weeks, Diallo and I have knocked on hundreds of doors in Constituency 13 (Devonshire North Central), meeting with residents and listening to their concerns.

As a former student of Elliot Primary School, many persons know Diallo from his school days, often cracking jokes about the good old days on Hermitage Road. As the existing president of the Elliot School PTA, the conversations often meld into school-related issues being discussed with the many parents we meet on the doorsteps and along the way.

The majority of the conversations we have with residents are about 10 per cent politics and 90 per cent everything else, including family connections, football standings and Bermudian history lessons from the seniors.

Just about everywhere that Diallo goes, he is warmly greeted and finds himself engaged in many conversations around kitchen tables and on living-room couches.

We look forward to meeting many more residents of Constituency 13 over the next few months.

Being involved in politics in Bermuda is often a thankless job. It requires much sacrifice of family time and any form of an active social life. Yet, somehow, it is one of the most rewarding experiences one can go through if they have patience and a desire to help others.

I thank Diallo for the Lucozades and salute him for continuing to make sacrifices to build a Bermuda that works for Bermudians.