Going Home, Yeah!


Looking forward to going home to that little rock in the Caribbean called Jamaica! I can’t wait to touch down at Norman Manley Airport and feel the sun in my face and wind as it caresses my cheeks (yeah, sounds cheesy, I know) It’s gonna be sweeeet!!

My last visit home was two years ago when my sister and I went home to bury our mother who passed suddenly from diabetic complications. It was bitter sweet. It’s always nice and exciting to go home, but not to bury ones mother, and so, we didn’t get a chance to really see or do anything as everything else pales in comparison to the task we had at hand and the pain and suffering we were going through at the time. It’s definitely gonna be bitter sweet again and I’m not gonna fight my feelings of pain, I’m gonna embrace it and feel it and move through it and try to get some semblance of peace…..

Looking forward to be in cool, cool Mandeville and just drinking in the sights, sounds and the whole atmosphere of this unspoilt little city that is fast becoming over-populated. There’s something special about Mandeville that I’ve noticed. Other than the cool temperatures and quaint village-like English-setting, whenever one is crossing the pedestrian crossings, cars are expected to stop and give you the right-of- way, well in Mandeville, the cars usually slow down and let you cross ANYWAY whether you’re on the pedestrian crossings or not, seriously!! This is not the norm with J’can drivers!!! I’ve recalled the many mornings rushing to work and not wanting to be late and just put my hand up like a traffic cop and they’d slow and let me cross without yelling or shouting obscenities at me or anyone else for that matter.

When I went home two years ago, I stood in Mandeville Park and was smiling broadly to myself as I observe the same thing happening as it did years before. This was entirely a new generation of taxi-drivers doing this and I thought to myself, wow!! This is pretty special… The ones who didn’t do it, you could tell they were from else where. I’ve lived in Bridgeport (Portmore) St.Thomas, Canada and now Queens, NY and if you even attempt to cross the Pedestrian crossing without the “Walk” sign, you’re deliberately putting your life in danger and tempting fate. Mandeville is a pretty special place, and of course I’m biased, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Everyone loves something about their parish and think its special in its own way…..right?


Can’t wait to connect with my friends and some of my relatives (after taking care of some important business) and…. you know, just sitting back, breathing, chilling and eating some good food among other things. Yeah, it’s gonna be sweeeeet!!!........Later