When you think of eternity and forever, what comes to mind? Is it the vampire from that long  ago series who is meant to live forever, seduce beautiful women to their deaths and create a more good looking, blood sucking army? Or is it a bleak, confused, blank dark uncertainty?  

Whatever you think your eternity and ending is, it’s coming. It’s inevitable. Therefore, living  purposefully and impacting our community is one way to be fruitful. There is nothing better  than sharing your talents with the community. 

I was watching a program on TV3 with some of our local singers/artists returning home and  sharing about their own experiences of the music industry. I completely resonated with  Poetik (Parker) speaking about his clashes with other Samoans overseas because they have  a whole different upbringing compared to us, who were brought up locally.  

He went on to say that his music is grounded in the Fa’a Samoa and he is very proud to  represent 685 (Samoa’s area code). In addition, much of his music is about mental health. Although we may hear rap music, often angry and violent lyrics, it’s actually therapy for many  artists.  

“We are afraid of vulnerability, if you listen closely, you will hear the mental health situation  presented through stories, the pain and the childhood trauma. I clash with a lot of Samoans,  Pacific people and people of colour in general. The overseas mentality leaves no space for  who we are. 

"So, when I come from home (Samoa) and go to a country where they don’t have anyone to look up to in positions of power, they don’t know, they’re used to doing things their own way. 

"I say to them, 'look man, I’m from Samoa, we have Samoan CEOs, Samoan doctors, Samoan lawyers whereas over here for the last 60 years, we’ve only had Samoan factory  workers."  

This is why when the educated Samoans move overseas, you hear the same questions.  Where did you learn English? Did you grow up here or back home (Samoa)? Wow, your English  is really good. Patronising and ignorant at the same time. 

Poetik explained that overseas-born Samoans have “different upbringings and so our morals clash and I’m trying to teach our people that is how we are back home. 

"I’m trying to apply part of our culture to help us here  because by the looks of things, the suicide rate overseas is so high because people don’t know  who they are as Pacific Islanders. 

"I left as a Samoan and its not only important to fly the  Samoan flag but also for Pacific Islands." 

We don’t have enough support for our local artists. Many of our people sing, in church, in  the shower, on TV but many don’t see music as a full-time career. It’s a hobby, something to  pass the time with friends, a communal language spoken or rather sung in church. For many young people, it’s a distant dream that can only happen when they move overseas, so they go on Tik Tok and sing a few lines, get a few followers and then that’s it. 

How can we provide more consistent platforms for our musicians to thrive? Where does one  go if they want to be a full-time musician? Do we have courses at tertiary level? Much like  fashion designing, elei and many art forms, there is little or no formal education. 

Perhaps it’s time to explore more of the arts as lucrative careers for young people. Look at the explosion  of content creators online and the new generation of social media. 

Youth today basically live online these days. Although much of the stuff online is curated,  made over, air brushed and the narrative is repetitive, there is huge potential that we are not  tapping into for talent.  

How are we living right now? Do we have eternity at the end of what we do? Are we pouring  ourselves into the next generation?  

There are so many factors that hinder our progress as a people, particularly when it comes to  acceptance and kindness. 

We are a society that tries to please everyone:  

1. Worrying about what other people think 

2. Decision making based on feelings 

3. Identity crisis 

We live in stressful times and pulled at every direction. Whatever your forever looks like and music preferences are, one thing remains. We need to know who we are and understand where we come from. At the same time, provide enabling environment. 

Have a peaceful  Sunday Samoa and remember, where your heart is, there in lies your treasure and motives.