About 15 years ago, when I was a university student in Mexico City, I was going to the dentist one day, and I got a text on my phone. It said I had won something and should respond to the text to claim my prize. I was super naïve, and I responded to the text. While sitting at the dentist’s office, I got a call from this guy saying congratulations. I was a winner in some promotions I didn’t even participate in (the first clue, this was a scam).
I woke up this morning inspired to write this post. I spent much of my life holding back myself, limiting my potential because I was worried. I was concerned about how people would respond, what people would say, and afraid that I would be called out as fake. I was worried that the people I grew up with, who knew one side of me and did not necessarily know the “me” I was becoming, would call me out for being fake. As a result, I held back.
When I was younger, I remembered hearing news of people dying, whether from the adults around me or on television, if I happened to be at someone’s house when the death news was on because I didn’t have a television at my home. What stood out to me back then was that it was always someone I didn’t know, or If I knew them, they were not close to me. Hence, these deaths never bothered me, but lately, there has been a shift.
I woke up this morning reminiscing about a conversation I had with a friend. We were talking about how some of the young people we used to mentor back in the day were succumbing to lousy advice regarding professional development. That got me sad 1- because I know the potential of these kids 2- In many cases it was because of parents. So I decided to put this piece together, Caribbean parents stop doing this immediately.
Yesterday I received news that someone I knew very well died, a young man admired by the community as was seen with the outpouring of support on Facebook. The news shocked me, I saw people sharing messages of love and support, and that got me thinking. There are some things our Caribbean men don’t hear often enough and while on the train today, I made a list of them and decided to share with you.