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.