From an early age, I developed a deep appreciation for reading and writing. In elementary school—around grade four, to the best of my recollection—my teacher frequently selected me to read aloud from various storybooks, including Alice in Wonderland and The Three Little Pigs. These reading exercises required each student to stand before the class and continue reading until instructed to stop. This experience not only strengthened my reading fluency but also nurtured my confidence in public speaking.
After school, while my mother worked long hours, I often sought refuge beneath the wide canopy of a guango or mango tree. There, surrounded by tall grass and the gentle songs of birds, I would immerse myself in the pages of library books or those borrowed from my older brother, Ricky, who was also an enthusiastic reader. His passion for literature influenced my own, reinforcing my love for learning and storytelling.
My interest in reading, writing, and the arts continued to grow throughout my middle and high school years. I became an active member of the debating club and achieved a significant milestone when I published my first article in a major newspaper. Living in a rural town presented certain challenges, including limited access to reading materials. Consequently, I often traveled by local bus to the parish capital on Saturdays, where I spent hours reading and borrowing books from the parish library—the nearest available resource, as my community lacked one.
Upon graduating from high school, I began my professional journey as a communications instructor at a youth training center. Later, after completing my studies at the University of Technology, I joined the training department of the Institute of Management and Production (IMP), a development and training arm of the Matalon Group located on Half Way Tree Road in Kingston. The director at the time encouraged staff to enroll in the institution’s training courses, and I welcomed the opportunity, given my involvement in the training and evaluation of prospective instructors. The director also demonstrated a clear preference for European trainers over American ones—a tendency I attributed to his familiarity with British culture rather than any particular bias against American approaches.
Among the trainers employed at IMP was a British instructor named Jane Earle, whose appointment generated considerable debate. Although she lacked substantial academic credentials, the director’s endorsement secured her position. I attended one of her training sessions, during which we discussed appropriate word choices to describe a given situation. Seated in the back of the room, I responded that the individual in question lacked empathy. The trainer immediately turned and inquired, “Who said that?” When another participant identified me, she approached and asked, “Where did you get that word from?”
Somewhat taken aback, I replied, “What do you mean, where did I get it from? Isn’t it a word in the English language?” I then explained that I was an avid reader. She expressed surprise and remarked that it was “a very good word,” implying that she had not expected such a response from me.
At the time, I was nineteen years old and relatively new to the professional environment. I chose not to challenge her further, mindful of my position as a junior employee and her standing as a favored instructor. In retrospect, with the benefit of maturity and formal training in human behavior, I recognize that I would have approached that interaction differently. The experience nonetheless reinforced my awareness of the subtle dynamics of perception, communication, and cultural bias within professional settings.
