NINE MONTHS LATER...

So it’s NINE months into 2012 and if you’re like most people (myself included) your probably wondering where the year went. New Years and summer have come and gone and now that the children are back out to school you might be wondering where your year went. Now I am almost certain that we all made some sort of resolution (s) at the beginning of the year that we were very excited to dive into. Some of us may have gotten the ball rolling on the weight loss/better health campaign while others may still be waiting to get off the couch. Whatever the case is the more you delay embracing a healthier lifestyle the more effort you’ll have to put in as you get older.

For the number crunchers who have counted their pennies down to the dollar and have stuck to their rigorous budgets and saving schemes, I say hat’s off to you my friends (and don’t forget to buy me a gift at Christmas either) because many of us (guilty again) may have started and fallen off along the way. Planning ahead is always good but there are just some days when you just can’t help but breaking your plans (and the bank). Luckily you still have three paychecks before Christmas to stash away some extra cash so you can get yourself something nice for the holidays. Just remember there are some things in life that money cannot buy and you’ll be fine.

For those who claimed this as the year to fall in love/get married/ start dating again/get out of a toxic relationship, I hope that you have found love in a hopeless place (shameless Rhiana plug). Whatever your situation may be just remember to take it one day at a time. If you are yet to stumble into your prince/princess, all hope is not lost. There are still three months left in the year and if you need some quick pointers I suggest watching Hitch and Act Like a Man Think Like a Woman, if not bringing you closer to your soul mate they are bound to make you laugh.

If you decided to get back in the classroom to keep up to date with what’s taking place in the world, then you’re in a good position. Though education is expensive (understatement of the millennium) it is also fulfilling. Everyone should know that majority of the things you will learn in college/university will be outside of the classroom. Your teachers and lecturers are there to guide you along the path to self discovery. Being alone with your thoughts and arriving at conclusions on your own account will open your mind and let you see the world in a different light all together.

If your journey is a spiritual one then I pray that you would have found peace and comfort in your daily devotions. This is by no means a simple task and one that will definitely have an impact on all other aspects of your life regardless of the path you are choosing to follow.

Whatever your journey so far I wish for you all the success 2012 has to offer. Nine months ago we were pregnant with hope, love, faith and a bright eyed enthusiasm that could rival a teenager getting his/her driver’s license/first kiss. Now it’s time to give birth to a reality that change is going to come whether or not you are prepared for it. The good news is you have 98 more days to make a last effort to make good on those New Year’s resolutions.

The White Man’s Dollar

A friend of mine shared this piece with me sometime last week. It was intriguing to say the least and I pondered for a few days whether or not I should post on my blog. I tracked down the writer of this piece to seek permission to have this piece posted on my blog. Though they consented it was asked that their identity be kept secret. As such I am inclined to obliged and present to you

The White Man’s Dollar

I stand before you today to speak to you on the topic, ‘ The white man’s dollar’. It is not that I am prejudiced or racist in anyway but it is the white man who brings in the most revenue into my little Antigua. It was the same white man who held us in bondage and had us work to make him rich. It is the same white man whom we now work to attract back to us so that we can now make ourselves rich. The world has gone full circle but the white man still remains on top.

But it doesn’t end there. The same white man brings with him not only his dollar but also his whitewashed morals and culture. We’ve adopted his ways in every aspect of life. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. At what price? The white man’s dollar.

What makes us think that to attract him here that we must become like him? This sort of thinking must stop before we loose ourselves. He doesn’t seek the same environment in which he left but instead he seeks peace from his turmoil, and the life void of morals that he left behind. He wants to come here and come first in contact with congeniality and hospitality because he knows that back home manners is something spoken of but not actually done. He wants to eat good wholesome food. Not the fake food he left behind which gave him his ulcers and his weight. He seeks the simple pleasures of nature. He wants to enjoy himself by the beach or on a nature walk not to be plagued by the cable TV blaring in his room or the rap music we might think to play in our restaurants. He wants to dance to the sweet sound of soca and reggae.

His wants don’t end there. He wants a unified people not a nation divided. He wants to see our community spirit alive and well. He wants to see a clean Antigua and Barbuda, not one with garbage-cluttered streets and foul smelling gutters. He wants to remember that animals exist outside of the supermarket, but not at the price of running a goat over on the highway. He doesn’t mind the potholes on the streets because he knows that where he comes from a huge chunk of his income must to go the preservation and building of roads. He doesn’t mind the street cricket that the children find to play; he might just stop, watch and even keep score. He wants to see the Caribbean not completely untouched by civilization but not swallowed up by it either. Can we indulge the white man in his simple fantasies? I think so.

Can we pull together and give him a good time when he comes. Can we show him a good celebration when carnival time comes around? Can we show him what clean fun is all about? Can we offer him fruit that hasn’t been blown up by hormones? Can we show him clean streets, unpolluted air and crystal clear waterways? Let him regret having putting our forefathers through slavery. Let us forgive him and take his money. Let us not overcharge but take his money with a smile. The world has indeed gone full circle. We the black people have come up with a way of getting our revenge without him knowing. We call it Tourism.

Brief Moments of Insanity

So being that I had not written for a while. I was more than surprised when this poem literally jumped out of me a few moments ago. For those of you who write regularly you know what is like not to be inspired. We all hit that low spot one day or another. for some it can go on for months and years at end lending credence to the term "starving writer". Thankfully its not my main career but just a labour of love and as you will read in the word to follow, Love and I have our issues. Its a bit raw and sporadic but its my love and I love it.


This is not a ballad of a broken heart but the ballad of an open heart. A heart hoping to open the doors of love hoping to find you standing on the other side with the other half of my love. Cause if love had love, love would know that I'm in need of love. The kind of love that makes me bleed for love, the love that can't feed my love unless its me and you that's dying for love. Day in day out pining for love, spend time in the line on a Friday Payday waiting to withdraw some love. Writing blank cheques on the line of credit for love. Swiping love back and forth hoping they don't decline my love. Standing in the same spot twice hoping to catch a glimpse of your love. Saying the wrong things so you can correct my love. Working 8 hour weeks and 40 hour days just to afford your love. Staying up late at night so I don't have to dream of love. Cause if love only comes in my sleep then don't wake me up love cause I'll be sleeping next to you my love. And that's the kind of love that love gets when it loves me.

Brief moments of Insanity by Shawn Nastrodamus Maile

They say you never forget your first

They say you never forget your first and that sentiment holds true to your first job as well as your first love (or so I believe). For me my first gig out of college was as a tour guide in a National Park. From the interview I realized that what I was signing up for was no walk in the park (pun intended). The interviewers actually slid a British Naval costume across the table and asked if I would have any problems wearing it on occasions when cruise ships were calling at the port. I remember smiling and answering in the affirmative and thinking somewhere in the back of my mind that these people had to be crazy. But none the less I was merely enthused at the prospect of working outdoors talking to people as I had always been the more reserved type. This job would undoubtedly challenge me physically and mentally as I would be facing scores of visitors looking to have a good time while still learning a bit of history.

As luck would have it I had a very easy going supervisor, sometimes so too easy going for his own good. I was also lucky to be part of an initial group of about 10 coworkers who were in the same age range as me. On some days work seemed like a leisurely stroll with friends back for a visit while other days I broke more than a sweat. It was mundane at times trying to plug the same old punch lines with the regular tour operators knowing your pitch like the back of your hand. But the days when the tips were heavy and the mood light it seemed like it could go on forever and it seems as it did at times. Though I was young and impressionable I was able to experience that satisfied feeling from putting in an earnest eight hours and being justly rewarded (as per the industry standard).

But as you put your shoulder to the mill and continue grinding out good results, you start thinking outside the box and wondering if there’s more for you to accomplish. That coupled with an entry salary in a service industry without much prospect of advancement lead to an exodus of all my fantastic coworkers. Some moved on to better jobs while others like myself pursued higher education. As I write this though I wonder how much money could have made me stay at that job and for how long. As life would have it though I would welcome the opportunity to work in an environment that is based on leisure activities and interacting with wide eyed travelers looking to embrace the world to its fullest.
The question of selling out or trading up may have some relevance here but then again not pushing yourself to unlock your potentials trumps settling when you have the urge to excel. At the end of the day though I am proud of my humble beginnings that have given my life perspective.

So to the graduating class of 2012 I say you may not get what you’re looking for right off the bat but whatever it is its sure far better off than your couch. So whether you’re suiting up or scrubbing down don’t forget the big picture that is your life. You never know how your experiences today will affect your outcomes tomorrow.

THE GET AWAY JOB

For a few days I had been toying with the notion of a blog post that relates to people having a dormant profession lying within them. And all of a sudden it hit me (not like a ton of bricks though). “We all have our job alter egos, waiting to take flight like Superman”. If you chalk it up to superheroes, we all know that Superman moonlights as Clark Kent or vice versa. On one hand he works as a news reporter and on the other hand he saves the world from one villain at a time. The question is “is he a superhero that has a job as a reporter or is he a reporter that has a job as a superhero? It may seem a bit confusing but let’s look at it this way, are you a teacher who works as a waitress or a waitress who works as a teacher. The reason this intrigues me is that I found myself haphazardly contemplating an escape from my current profession and wondered what I would do, not only to occupy my time and gain an income but how would I ensure that my new occupation brings me greater satisfaction. I got to tossing around career choices that I could sink my teeth into and here’s a short list:

Tour guide (1st job out of school)

Travel agent (seeing the world)

Masseuse (no comment)

Pyrotechnics (family business)

Landscaper (the great outdoors)

Event planner (who doesn’t like a good party)

Cake decorator (I’d gain 10lbs in a week for sure)

Cruise Ship worker (again the prospect of waking up in a different country is very appealing)

My list could go on for another two pages but at least you get the general idea behind where I’m coming from. Some of you may or may not have a “side hustle” or have not realized it as yet. A side hustle is essentially a hobby that has the potential to bring in a few dollars e.g. cake baking, sewing, tutoring, writing etc. It may or may not be lucrative enough for you to quit your main job and dive head first into your passion (s). Whatever the case may be, having one is always a plus. When it begins to blow up though, you may be faced with a hard decision. After all you can’t work two 40hour jobs at the same time (unless you work for the government) and expect not to be bone tired at the end of the week.

Though I am fresh to the world of work I heard a gentleman say something last night that caused me to think. He made it known that he had been working at the same company for thirty years. This in itself was not alarming but he went on to say that he strongly doubts that the present generation has that level of loyalty. To be quite honest, I believe he was absolutely right in his statement. With the way technology and society is rapidly advancing, who among us would want to be in the same position 30 years from now? Imagine seeing two generations pass by and you’re still in the same position. Pretty strange if you ask me. Though this may be what some of our parents are currently doing, I do not believe that many of us (age 22-30) want this for ourselves.

The getaway job is not abandoning your job and spending days on the beach sipping pina coladas (sounds inviting), rather it is a chance for you to fulfill that sense of adventure and enjoyment that you may be lacking in your current position. But before you make a mad dash for the door screaming “free at last free at last, thank God I’m free at last”, think about what you would rather be doing if you weren’t at your current job. Start with a short list and keep going until you’ve exhausted all your possibilities or until you end up backlit your current position. I cannot say what happens after that but keep it in mind next time you’re sitting in a four hour meeting or staring at your quarterly evaluation. This might be the motivation you were waiting for to get your job alter ego the chance it’s been waiting for all along.

Weekend Road Warrior - Get Away Edition

There is somethings in life that money cant buy and then there is the prospect of getting away for the weekend and enjoying the simpler side of life. Luckily I was able to do so in Barbados for 3nights 2days. Having had my college roommate bombard me with how great an island Barbados is for the better part of four years, it was finally the time to see for my self. Besides the fact that their accent is very thick and I had to ask a few persons to repeat themselves or just nod sheepishly and smile conversing with the locals was not a great challenge. The public transportation system (bus) offers many choices and runs regularly up until about 12am. If you are fortunate/unfortunate to catch a ZR Van then be prepared to get sandwiched between two people (god forbid one or neither of them has had a shower). The food is good and not really expensive, I gave Chefette a shot but think I prefer KFC's chicken and burgers but the grilled flying fish I had at Oistins was very good. Though I can't vouch for all the beaches on the island the one that was nearby my bungalow in Dover Beach was very inviting with a shallow shoreline and waves to keep you from falling asleep in the water. Water-sports were at hand, though I was not prepared to pay 60US to go jet skiing for half hour. The fact that locals and tourists a like could slum it all day on a beach chair under an umbrella at no cost and hassle free was very intriguing and relaxing. What was downright shocking that Happy hour at Reggae Lounge began at 8pm and went on till midnight or later. Needless to say that clubs/bars in Antigua need to adopt this brilliant marketing/sales strategy. All in all it was a weekend well spent. I foresee a return visit in the not too distant future. Maybe then I can do more of the "touristy" things like island tours, Harrison cave, jet skiing etc. etc. but I get the feeling that I may easily just roam around on the bus trying not to look like a tourist while not getting lost...

I think Rhi Rhi said it best......."Cheers to the freaking Weekend".... "I drank to that"

P.S. If I had a million dollars, I'd buy a single prop airplane and learn how to fly.

The Weekend Road Warrior Two Wheel Edition

There have been a couple of things that I’ve meant to do since I’ve been a child but I’ve put them off for one reason or another. I made excuses such as you’re not fit enough you’re not skinny enough, you’re not handsome enough, you don’t have enough money etc etc. and the list goes on. But one day I realized that I don’t have to be any of those things that I thought I wasn’t, I just had to try. And try I did when I signed up for the Antigua & Barbuda Cycling Association season opener Family Fun ride that took place last Sunday afternoon. It took me a whole week to get a bike up and running for this event. In the end I ended up riding a purple female framed 15 speeder belonging to my aunt. My consolation was that it was a Huffy. I manly stuck to my story “oh this, this is just a loaner for the weekend cause my race bike is in the shop undergoing repairs” and carried on as if nothing was the matter. It was blood sweat and nearly tears when my “weekend loaner” developed some gear issues towards the last ¼ mile of the ride. But alas I soldiered on to the end like I know Lance Armstrong would, even if he had to carry the bike across the finish line. The thought just actually hit me that I was too much man for this ladies bike and so she broke under pressure.

As history would have it I made it back to the finish line in an undisclosed time a few minutes ahead of last place and celebrated my accomplishment with an ice cold glass of blue Gatorade.

So for those who dare to ride, I say don’t wait till your good enough to try something you’ve always wanted to try, just do it.

Look out for more amazing adventures of the weekend road warrior, 2012 is just beginning.

I'm the guy in the back towards the middle.

Isn't she a beauty?

Got to rep the 5.

My Greatest Fear

So as terrific as Tuesday is today is a good one or has started out that way. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind a wall post from a friend of mine came to mind. A brief search lead me to attribute the wonderful piece to Marianne Williamson. It is an excerpt from her book A Return to Love. In case you have never read it, it reads:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Pondering the words that I could remember at the time of driving to work this morning something insightful occured to me. For some of us (myself included) our deepest fear is that we live a life of mediocrity and fail to realize our true potential. This may be the cause of the famed mid life crisis phenomenon that millions go through around their late thirty’s to mid forty’s. It is said to be a time that we make absurd changes to our lives as we realize that our youthful exuberance is slipping away slowly but surely.

Which brings us to the here and now (I’ve got a couple years to go before I hit my midlife and I’ve already begun to plan for it). In all honesty my greatest fear is living a life of mediocrity. For some of us we are bombarded with the status quo of being educated, getting a good job and starting a family.

For some that might be all she wrote but for others that plan might lack zest and a certain level of theatrical enthusiasm. Some may be content with the 9-5 minimum wage while others may take the stage, while others take to politics with an agenda to save the world (while filling their pockets) and make it more comfortable for all (or the world 1%).
Needless to say that it would take me as well as anyone else an entire lifetime to tell you how to live a life full of meaning.

Millions of books, DVD’s, TV Shows, lectures, and papers have been published on this topic. It would be unintelligent of me to attempt to answer this question with one blog post and I dare not try. But I will say this; life is an amazing thing and for everyday you're alive and well make the best of it. We all know the cliché sayings “break the rules, kiss slowly, and forgive quickly” and the list could go on and on for light years to come. But after all is said and done one thing is certain…Life goes on. And as it goes on so should you.

For some we may never attain the finer things in life but that does not mean that we cannot be happy. We may all have come across the saying that we should not settle for less than what we deserve or we would be deserving of what we settle for (loosely paraphrased).

And that my friend is the crux of the matter. Be empowered and live the life that brings you the greatest amounts of happiness and meaning.

The Weekend Road Warrior 10k Edition

So just a month and some days after I embarked upon my first marathon I found myself signing up for my second and waiting patiently on the third. As is always the norm thousands/millions of people the world over resolve to make weight loss and fitness their first and foremost resolution to begin the new year. As such the Medical Benefit Scheme in Antigua strives to help individuals stick to their resolutions. Hence they host a resolution fun run/walk every January to provide individuals with the necessary motivation that they need to get off the couch and out onto the open road. I was excited beyond words when I saw the ad in the paper a few weeks a go and immediately started to spread the word to friends and family members who I figured may be interested in taking up the challenge. Strength definitely abounds in number as at least 1,000 persons turned out to this event.

Needless to say that it was not as taxing on my body as the 15k I did in December. This may attributed to the mental fact that I knew it was 5k shorter or that I made the journey with several person from the 5A.M. Hike Club (Kerri, Bappy, Grainas, and Paula just to name a few) either way it was one for the history books. We made the mark in 1.5 hours with souls still in check.

Luckily the Medical Benefit Scheme has at least one such event planned for the remainder of the year, so those of you (myself included)who may fall off their exercise regime their will be moments of redemption readily available.

So if you have not begun to put the pedal to the medal where your health/fitness is concerned now is a good as time as ever. After all it is only 24 days into the new year. So if your lacking motivation just take a look in the mirror and tell your self ... self" we can do better than this". Unless self trains 7 times a week for marathons then self is on the right path and should take one for the team and miss a day so we could all be on the same page.

So in the words of the most interesting

man alive "stay thirsty my friends".

Motivated Mondays 2012 Edition

So on the first Monday of the year I must admit that I feel incredibly amazing. So much so that I almost wanted to stay home this morning and bask in the glory of the first Monday of 2012. The ride to work seemed too short as well as the hours seem to be passing by too quickly for my liking. Needless to say … I am having a great day. I’ve got on new pants and new shoes and by golly gosh darn it I feel brand new.

I opted not to write my first blog post for the year until I felt 100% like the motivational force that I sometimes convince myself that I am. Alas 2011 is no more and 2012 is just bursting with possibilities, pleasantries, and pure prosperity and pleasure (in case you have not seen Mr. Poppers Penguins, it might give you a case of the P’s).
So this is me telling you to grab 2012 by the horns and ride her till the wheels fall off. The start of a new year is more often than not the ideal time to get on whatever band wagon you need to get on. Whether it is personal, financial, spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical now seems more than likely the opportunity to get off the couch and start doing something with your life.

I may be wrong but I would bet the farm that gyms across the world see an increase in membership in the first few months of the year as well as supermarkets may sell more yogurt and fat free foods. For all intent and purpose it just seems like the most wonderful time of the year (after all Christmas was only a few days ago and we are still basking in its after glory).

On to the topic of resolutions, I thought to myself that most resolutions come as we would have done the opposite to the things we now resolve to accomplish. And then it hit me, if we did not fail at something last year we would not resolve to make it better this year. As such what we need is clarity. Let me explain with an example: For the first three months of last year I saved not a penny. Not that I am a shopaholic, I merely depended on my own will to take the money from one account and place it into another (big mistake). What became clear to me was that things will always pop up and unless you are a Shaolin Monk who is disciplined beyond belief, then more than likely you might falter. My plan was then to make my savings automatic from one institution to another eliminating myself (unreliable third party) and entrusting it to a more reliable source (barring a financial meltdown that is). Thus began my saving which has continued into this New Year. My resolution was to save but my clarity came as I realized that my will power was not my safest ally in this battle for better finances.

As may be the case for some us who join a gym with the intentions of gyming (not actual word) everyday but falter by the wayside under the guise of “I’ll go tomorrow and stay an extra hour, it’s raining, I’ll go on my day off, on the weekend for sure etc. etc. etc.” This by no means is speculation but excuses that I myself have given for my lack of effort. My clarity for my failed achievement of my six pack (at least 10 years in the making) came as I realized that my body by Jake transformation will not be swift and sever but slow and painful. As is I have resolved that fitness is a lifestyle and not a goal to be achieved (or whatever helps me sleep at nights).

So whether your battling finances, spirituality, personal growth, relationships etc etc. there is no time like the present to make a new start.

New beginnings call for new experiences and new experiences call for new adventures. After all life is an amazing adventure. So plot a course not simply for a “better” you but for a you that embraces the changes necessary to live a more fulfilled life.

P.S. don’t beat yourself up about things that don’t work out the way they should…Everything happens for a reason.