Lest We Forget 7th November 2015. Updated #6th June 2019 in honour of Townhead & Adjacent Districts Of Westmoreland as the world celebrating the D-Day Landing. Without further ado, I #refuse to let Facebook run me #ragged like those young soldiers who #sacrifice their lives for #freedom on the #6thJune1944.

As a child growing up in Jamaica, we always celebrated “POPPY DAY” ON THE 11TH November. And although I do not have much memory of this “Remembrance Sunday was celebrated with much zeal to honour those who fought in the “World Wars” and I guess that’s all I can tell anyone about the history of the celebrations back then. That’s why I am going to continue praising the “power of knowledge” and the impact of me “enhancing knowledge has had on my life” from I came to the UK. Fast forward to 23 years ago when I first came to the UK and I am telling anyone that my knowledge was so limited that I can claim I was very ignorant. I am big enough to chat my chat about myself and I refuse to take back any of my chats. Because contrary to what some of those “ignorant detractors” would like to make me out to be, I always was the same person I am today and was yesterday. If in doubt see me at https://www.google.com.

Therefore I won’t let any of their “negative discourses” cause me to wonder if I am not the genuine person who left Jamaica 23+ years (27 years) ago to make the most of the opportunities that I was gifted with. So lest I forget where I am coming from, I am going to continue living my life from the values and beliefs that my parents brought me up with and don’t let anyone tells me I am not genuine. Of course, I have to accept my faults and failures as the cussing “bad wuds” (words) and all those other things I do to help me be me, the person who I am. As we are about to celebrate another “Remembrance Sunday” and since I have plenty of time on my hands. l think I am entitled to use that time wisely to tell the story of those Jamaican who made valuable contributions to the “World Wars” in their own inimitable fashions. Today the 6th June 2019 is the 75th year since the D-Day Landing in 1944. Of course, there is Social Media and the World Wide Web to provide us with enhancing knowledge like I did when I enrolled acc-gen@open.ac.uk and became a graduate www.open.ac.uk/ceremonies just before my 50th birthday.

Now I have to start with the only Jamaican person I knew who fought in the “Battlefields to help secure our Freedom” not to be discriminated against in no shape nor form. Mr. Reziel (and anyone is entitled to correct me if I spelled the name wrong) aka “MASSY WELCH” was the closest person I’ll ever come to know who was directly connected to and involved in the “World Wars” and I learned the information from the TV. Therefore here is the proof that every single thing has uses in life. It is down to us the individual to use whatever media for good and not evil/bad. Knowing how much “my parents revered their family ties” I owe it to my mother’s memory to tell the story as little as I know it, about one of her family not related by blood. Although mama is only related to Mr. Welch by way of marriage, she was very proud of her links to every single one no matter their status in life.

So let me clarify that mama prided herself on being the cousin of “Mrs. URA HEWLING-WELCH” and might give me a sign if I don’t let that knowledge be known. Where I come from in Westmoreland Jamaica, everyone was related in some shape or form. Therefore I am taking “bragging rights” to pay homage to mama’s cousin Ms. Ura’s husband Massy Welch, who was a colourful character and figure in our “community of Townhead Westmoreland” Jamaica. It would be amiss of me if I did not mention “Caney, Hewling Town” that was the birthplace of mama and where my sister – Yvonne, mama’s other daughter and her dad – Claudius were buried. Caney was packed with the history of my parents’, family and who is who in the community.

Before I go any further let me salute mama’s cousin Ms. Ura and Massy Welch’s offspring and hope they approve of my little story? Those that I have to make mention of are Loy aka Patrice Scott, Lennon aka Kirk Tallah Welch, Kim aka Heidi McGann and Pam from Mother Hinds clan. Now I set out try and do justice to a story that is close to my heart, especially because of what I’ve had to endure at the hands of some “Racist, Bully, Low Life Thugs” this past year. This is even more harrowing for me because all this started not long after coming back from Jamaica where I’d gone to put mama to rest with all my “loved ones who’d gone on before” and others I trusted gave their approvals and joined in to make my life a living hell.

If I never took the final steps to put an end to my suffering, I might not be here now writing this story in memory of those veterans who make such great sacrifices for us to be here today as free people. I just know enough about the World Wars I supposed to get by in life and back then apart from celebrating “Poppy Day” I doubt very much that it was important for me to learn about the “nitty gritty” of History, Geography or any other subject for that matter because I was not a teacher and probably had a one track mind. Knowing about the history of the World Wars were not that important to me and many more like me. As long as we wear our Poppy to “celebrate the bravery of those men and women who fought and gave their lives to protect our rights to live in a free society” I’d done my bit.

This was enough for me until another year when the usual fuss was made about important dates in the annals of history and I leave well enough alone. Knowing what I know now I blame the powers that and hold them responsible and accountable for shortchanging us of our education. Because I believe it was downright remiss of them not to have taught us about the feats of the local heroes, living amongst us like Mr. Welch, who played such important roles in shaping the world history. It took me coming here to live in the UK when I was already in my 30’s and watching a programme on TV – Ground Force to identify one of the locals from my community to learn that he was a “War Veteran” who sacrificed his life for Queen and country.

Mr. Welch was living in the community where I was born, bred and lived until I immigrated to the UK, yet I knew absolutely about his feats fighting in the World Wars. I believe it was a dying shame and someone done Mr. Welch and all of us pupils a great disservice for not documenting his life story as part of the curriculum for us to have learned in school. I was living at 17 Denchworth House, Stockwell, London SW9 OBN which is closer to Brixton. As I recall now the TV was on in the background and I swear I wasn’t watching, but identified the voice and turned to look and saw this tall man I recognized to be Mr. Welch. So I stopped to pay attention to the programme. Allan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock, and Tommy Walsh were doing Ground Force from Curphy Place Mandeville Manchester Jamaica.

The Ground Force Team were in Jamaica refurbishing Curphy Place that is home to the “War Veterans and Retired Soldiers” in Jamaica. What struck me about the programme was the subject that Mr. Welch was talking about, his fear of lizards and how he was squeamish about the lizards that were not even near him. I was not aware either that Mr. Welch had retired to the Home because I was no longer in Jamaica. And at the time was not taking as many interests in what was going on at home like I am doing now. My information about Mr Welch being a “War Veteran” came about from me watching one of my favourite programmes on the TV. And some organisations in Great Britain was investing in ensuring those who made sacrifices on behalf of others were duly rewarded when they needed the assistance most.

In the “prime of their life” when some of them were suffering ill health or age was taking its toll on how they were able to fend for themselves, they were provided with the assistance they needed. It was only years later when I got hooked into enhancing knowledge via studies and through my work that I began to learn about the roles played by some of our pioneers like “Mary Seacole” when we celebrate “Black History Month”. That I felt a sense of great loss for some missed opportunities that we were denied as students. I feel we were cheated and short-changed as students in Jamaica, because in God’s name why we were not taught the history of the local heroes like Mr. Welch who lived amongst us in our community. Mr. Welch’s wife was the “Head Teacher” of the Primary School and the family lived in the cottage that was part of the school compound.

And I can’t help now but fume at the waste of some of my precious time being taught about some obscure persons who we could only learn about from textbooks and try to visualize who they were and what part they played in our life and history. Yet our very own “national treasure who was a hero in his own rights” and was there in person to share his stories with us was not given the opportunity. Not only did we not get to hear first-hand out of the “horse’s mouth” about life on the front line, but we did not get to celebrate their lives and give them the accolades they rightfully deserved. I don’t believe in waiting until a person has died to celebrate their achievements. You might now ask why I then only write about people when they are dead, but if you check you will see that is not really the truth and I can only document stories when I get hold of them.

I am full of good intentions, have started many stories only for something or other to crap up to get me off my track. I, therefore, have to set myself targets and meet deadlines in order that I can bring these stories to public attention. Even when I have time on my hands something always come between me and what I really want to be doing to hinder my progress. As they say, time waits for no one and one has to make the most of the time we are given before it is too late and we live in regrets for not accomplishing some of what really matters in life. When I watched that TV programme all those years ago, I never really thirst for knowledge as I later aspired to. I am using my God-given talents to make the most of my creativity as some of my research empowered me to go on to achieve so much that give me so much satisfaction and pleasures in life.

I think I have mellowed with the years and I am better off as I can use my knowledge and expertise not only to benefit myself but to enrich the lives of others. That’s why I’ve resolved to do something about addressing the imbalance that was created that caused us not to learn about our local hero, one of our very own who fought in the World Wars to give us access to freedom. I am proud to say my navel string was buried at Townhead where I was born nearly 60 years ago. I was and is pleased/proud as punch when I discovered all those years ago that Mr. Welch a community member was a local hero. I recall telling my (breda – brother) Balis about seeing him on the TV when I spoke to him. I am sure every person in the little pockets of nook and cranny in the communities would like to know about the local heroes who live amongst them.

And probably would have liked to hear Mr. Welch told his story to the students and his fellow citizens about his experiences. I know without a doubt that was one of the best ways for those stories to have come alive, instead of us only reading about them in textbooks. As I said each time I did my research and start my projects to write about the life of other greats before they die the “devil always put a spanner in the spokes” to thwart me but I am vowing to get my own back. During the time when “I was walking away from diabetes” I was walking along the New Kent Road when I spotted a “commemorative plaque dedicated to the Commonwealth men and women who fought in the World Wars” and documented it for future reference. Already a pattern was forming in my mind about the possibilities that might come up for me to use those photographs.

And I also remembered the programme on the TV about Mr. Welch. That’s why tonight I am sat at the computer after a tiring day trying to set myself a deadline to finish this story to get it published for tomorrow’ “Remembrance Sunday celebrations” when I can pat myself on the back. Saying I am doing my bit in rewriting history for the future generations of Jamaicans whose parents and grandparents were deprived of being taught the history of persons like Mr. Welch. Including some of the greatest Jamaican who played their parts big or small in shaping the world in which we live. I hope the finished product will be as pleasing to others as I have the pleasure of doing my research and writing it. First and foremost this story is in honour of Massy Welch and all those great Jamaican men and women who made valuable contributions to Jamaica in particular and the world in general.

I am sorry that my generation was not taught our history to know about the sacrifices you made to make this world a better place for us to enjoy living in. Because of your unfailing dedicated services to securing our freedom, we are living in a society where we can avail ourselves of the rights that we are entitled to. That’s only one of the reasons I am vowing to fight to the death in exposing those evil people who are hell-bent on exploiting the vulnerable in society. Trying to enslave us like in the Slavery Days 200+ years ago. Just so that they can claim superior statuses over us. These people have been caught napping on the job, whilst they are found wanting to abuse their power of authority. They think nothing of hiding under the umbrella of their organization discriminatory practice, criterion, and provision to “rule and divide” as they use dirty tricks against us.

They write their Contract with the fine prints that are full of bureaucratic red tape and rhetoric that are meant to achieve unrealistic managerial targets at the expense of the service users and those of us have to work under Slavery. They begin to see others who are not slaves to Contract that say are there in place to breach current laws and legislation. That provide substandard services as threats to their incompetence of delivering inappropriate practice. So they will try and destroy us at whatever to silence us from disagreeing with and challenging them about what is wrong. On the 11.11.2015 I swear to almighty, ever loving, ever faithful, eternal God that I will not sit idly by and let any of those evil, small-minded, racist bullying thugs get away with what they did before.

These culprits who are the lowest of the low rattlesnakes who made my life a living hell get away with what they are doing to me. In 2003 – 2008 some other unscrupulous pen pushers, done the same thing to me and got away with it because everyone will rather turn a blind eye than deal with the issues at hand. Then, later on, they pretended as if they were not warned about situations that are caused by concerns. This time I am fighting to the bitter end to stop these ones in their track. I know God is giving me the strength and wisdom to carry on to unveil them so they dare not (“tek libatty – liberty wid – with) any of God’s anointed chosen children again” and they will think seriously of how they have lighted and ruined the lives of innocent people for their own selfish gains and bloated egos.

By the time I am finished, I give my solemn promise to all of my fellow human who has managed to escape, are forced to stick around like I did hope they would see sense. Or suffering in silence because they are gagged and when they are “frustrated and provoked into cutting the navel string” and run for their lives. They are encumbered by the negative discourses and literature they write about us called reference” that means you can no longer find employment. But woe betides those who make judgments about others before even trying to see what is happening because they will eventually do the same. I won’t even touch on those who set out to exploit others like me. When the evil prejudiced hypocrites that enslaved us paid them “blood money and have them in their pockets”. So they think they must join the bandwagons of “direct discriminations”.

But fear not I have them in my sights as I collect my paper trails of evidence. Then because they are “weak exploitative cowards” they might end up putting the chains that they used to enslave us around their corrupted necks. Some of them can give the bad treatments, but can’t take it and crumble at the first hurdle. God could have made the earth in 1 day and take off the rest of the time to go brag and boasts about His achievements. But He painstakingly worked diligently 6 days like a slave, ensuring every little detail were done to perfection and rested on the 7th day like an architect and celebrated His handy work. So all those who they made scapegoats and victims without a chance to restore their good name and character that they destroy with lying discourses.
Please, you can rest assured that despite my ordeals over the past year, I am on the case and God is going to give them their just rewards. Because everyone will be paid for the work they have done on this earth that God made for us all to enjoy, not just the chosen few. As Bob Marley sang “Emancipate yourselves from mental Slavery… None but ourselves can free our Minds…” all of us have a calling in life even thou we might not find out what it is until a certain period throughout life’s journey. My writing is not to fool or pull the wool over the eyes of anyone. I have been writing from my childhood. I credit myself for researching, hearing a story and being able to relate it to my own experiences. Then deciding that sharing my experiences via my creativity and talents might just be the catalyst in helping another person realise that there is light at the end of the darkened tunnel.

Their situation is not unique only to themselves, so they can find the early/late interventions to help them overcome some of the adversities in their lives. That way I don’t have to resort to plagiarising the work of others like has been done to me all this time I’ve worked in the UK. Six years they used my hands to show God, then they decided they had enough of me because I serve my purpose and is too knowledgeable for them – the dunce bats. So now they have to destroy me to wipe out my contributions to building them up. Making them a beacon that others are proud to talk about more the better for working in partnerships as colleagues, parents or other professionals. I have to accolades presented to me by appreciative parents to tell different stories from the ones they are making up about me the past year.

So prejudiced others who they have cuckold into their corner, please take notes! One of the 1st thing coming to my mind when I see and hear Mr. Welch’s reaction to the little lizard, my own reaction was how can a big man like him who fought in the World War be scared/afraid of lizards. I was saying this on the basis of knowing him personally as he was a formidable presence in the community. Anyone reading this and knew him, knows about his physical attributes because “he was as tall as a coconut tree in the air” and as for his intellectual skills well you’d have to go find someone from the “Brissett and Henry rum bar debating society” to fill you in on those aspects of Mr. Welch’s knowledge. That’s why I still can’t get it or begin to understand why the powers that be did not make him part of our educational systems educating future generations of Jamaicans.

I am sure I would have benefitted enormously from having the first-hand knowledge about Mr. Welch from our textbooks and hearing him sharing his personal experiences of how he and his fellow brave men and woman from across the Commonwealth Nations made contributions to make us “free at lasts…” in the words of Marin Luther King. I must confess I know hardly anything about Mr. Welch, but now that I got a tiny glimpse of the great person who sacrificed his life. For the world to be a free place for us to live, I mourn the missed opportunities that were not afforded him and his comrades to document their contributions in the annals of history. Especially at this time when we are celebrating and honouring the memories of every great man and woman who have done even one little deed of bravery for others to be free of which Mr Welch played an important role.

Now because of my own personal experiences, I will have to explore a little bit why Mr. Welch might have developed a fear of those lizards that I thought should not be for a big man like him. Some of us have developed one phobia or another holding us captives over a lifetime. I certainly have my own phobias or as I won’t name them “My Hidden Disabilities” going back to childhood. Recently attending a lecture at my old Alma Mata – the Open University www.aoug.org.uk/awards re Neuroscience and the Law. I was dumbstruck by what I was hearing. The reasons being I could identify parallels to my life about some of the issues that were affecting my life for the past year. The more I listened the more it became clear that I had done the best thing I had ever done in my life before. When I took that final decision to save myself and husband from what was imposed on us.

I stopped worrying about how I was going to provide for my own basic needs of providing food, shelter, and clothing and thought instead of the slow death I was being forced to endure because my face no longer fit. I had to get out of a situation that enslaved me for 6 years and that was slowly killing me. I realised no job was worth losing your dignity, the self-esteem and confidence you struggled to gain and I had the courage to tell them to sod off and go stick their job… Someone else can join them to suffer like they made me suffer the past year. So most likely something might have affected Mr. Welch to cause him to develop a fear of those lizards, who knows? No doubt he might have been left with scars resulting from traumas, but he has taken those to the grave with him too.

Maybe he came back from the World Wars a changed man from the one who set out to defend his country and the Motherland as a young man with dreams, but they were not the realities he expected. This could no doubt have impacted on how he lived his life once returning to Civilian Life. Al things considered, many of us although not having fought in any World Wars, have had to take part in our own personal warfare on many battlefields as we fight our ways out of the “Prisoner Camps” that we are still being enslaved in by the inhumane cowards that are our employers, government, etc that ruled over us. They use the bureaucratic red tape and rhetoric entrenched in their laws and legislation that they construct and named CONTRACT to captivate us.

While they shackled us like when our fore parents journey through the “Middle Passage” and had to kick up rumpus to survive. In order to provide for our basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter we are enslaved by their contracts of practice, criterion, and provision. These are placed around our bodies ensuring we fall prey to whatever they want us to do regardless of the consequences and impacts on fragile minds and bodies. Like the vulnerable individuals who were our fore parents. They have torn away from the certainty of consistency, familiarity and continuity of their family and homeland and thrust into an unknown world that did not always understand their need for understanding without first trying to change them to be someone they were not.

Because from day one the cards were stacked against us as a RACE. Some who think they are our superiors still think they have the power to hold us captives. As formidable individuals with strong survival instincts embedded in our DNA. Only the fittest of the fittest and wittiest of our Ancestors who see off their captors managed to use their survival instincts to stay alive despite the mistreatments. Like being packed like sardines in a tin for the Middle Passage journeys. If those experiences that Mr. Welch had gone through were documented who knows, maybe I could have benefitted from them. So I didn’t have to stay fighting some inhumane people for an entire year before the penny dropped and I was forced to run for my life.

There are Discriminations at all sections of an unjust society where dog eats dog for survival at the whims and fancies of some with their bloated egos. But fear not, I will be taking them down by the time I am finished if that is the last thing I do, with God’s help of course. And the prayers of those who know me for the person who I am warts and all. From what I know of Mr. Welch, he was one of those characters in the community who was an intellect, knowing his Bible back to front and used quotes from said Bible to back up his arguments. Like many of his generations, he was a “Rum Bar teacher/preacher” who shared his views with his peers. Now I am assuming that he might have related his experiences about being a World War Veteran, fighting on the battlefields, but I will never know now unless it is recorded somewhere.

Mass Astley Smith was responsible for telling me about the exploits of some of those who gathered in the “Brissett and Henry Rum Bars at the famous Townhead Cross Roads” but I am sure I never heard about Mr. Welch flying the flags for Hanover/Westmoreland Jamaica fighting in the World Wars. That’s why I am peeved that opportunities were lost to utilize Mr. Welch’s knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the future generation including yours truly. Being the husband of the “Head Mistress of the Primary School” I attended, living at the cottage, he was he would have been the right person to help with our education and he was within distance of a captivated audience. I know we would have benefitted no ends from hearing about the experiences of the local hero of Mr. Welch’s caliber.

I know what I am talking about because greatness is built into our DNA and I recall when Loy took on such a role training some of the future generations of athletes from Townhead Primary School when she was pregnant with her child Kim Welch. I hope no one is going to come and test me now saying I think I know everything but knows nothing after having me doing their work for 6 years and not even acknowledging my contributions. Then them and them feisty selves tell me I am not to say I work with them and spend the better part of a year hounding me out of my job destroying my health in the processes. But they can continue to try and underestimate me at their perils when they chose to dis me without a cause. They will (“haffi – have to) pay fi roast and boil and even bun up” to, for the hounding of the innocent person who tried to defend me and paid the price like I am doing.

Once again I am using my Continuing Personal Professional Plan (CPPDP) to share my vision, educate the masses to the perils and pitfalls they might have to confront and overcome throughout their lives. I tell the stories about local heroes like Mr. Welch who played integral parts in our lives, yet we were not made aware of it. That’s why I believe the story I heard from a Jamaican Englishman years ago about the indomitable spirits of our Ancestors. Who journeys the Middle Passage and survived so we can tell stories about them down the generations. The story goes, we Jamaican are the way we are because during the Middle Passage the Slaves, although packed like sardines in a tin, were still rebelling against the unfair treatments. Their captors did not know what to do with the strong-willed rebellious ones.

On reaching the shores of Jamaica, they throw the Rebellious Slaves overboard and went on their merry way. As Ms Louise Bennett would a did say (“If a lie dem – them a tell, a nuh – is not me say suh – so, a suh mi hear it…” And maybe (dat’s – that’s why mi) believe in Anansi Stories because only a Ginnal like Anansi could think on his feet and stay one step ahead of di bastards who set out to enslave and kill out wi roots. Because dem fear our talents and creativity to reinvent ourselves like Brer Anansi him/herself. I guess for the captors they solved the short term problems and thought that was the end of that lot, who didn’t put up with their captors bullying tactics keeping them subdued by use of enforced punishment. But they only started what was to become long term problems later.

I can imagine it was every man and woman for themselves being thrown overboard facing an uncertain death of drowning. But thanks to God those that survived and inhabited Jamaica did not suffer fools gladly and put up with their foolishness forever once they gave them the chance to make amends. Like I have done to these Racist Bullying Thugs that mistreated me for a 1+. My fore parents went on to become a thorn in their flesh producing our National Heroes and the Mr. Massy Welch’s, who fought our battles for us in the World Wars and later when leaving Jamaica again to seek their fortunes, making a better life for themselves and family. Considering their backgrounds I am certain our fore parents were a mix of proud people out of Africa who combined to make a fresh start in Jamaica and other parts of the world they were shipped to. As confirmed by www.ancestrydna.co.uk/faq.

With my limited knowledge about history, I refused to go down that road because history is well documented for those who want to know about their heritage, roots, and cultures. However, I will continue telling the stories from my perspectives as I come across the experiences of those who played important parts in my life and I make the comparisons between my life and theirs. Therefore I am using my personal experiences to highlight the plight that some of us are going through as we battle the Wars of Discriminations years after Slavery was Abolished that we face daily in a society that is sometimes only prepared to listen to those who can put a spin on things using the machinery associated with cronyism.

They, therefore, hide under the umbrella of big named brands, abusing their power of authority, discriminating against us, making us scapegoats and making us victims to suit their inflated egos. I am here exploding the myth that Discriminations from Slavery has been eradicated and does not exist in Civilised Society, but nothing could be further from the truth. I am one of the most qualified persons, dumped on the Unemployment rubbish heap because I fight for my values and beliefs and the principles I was brought up with by my parents. As well as making my implicit knowledge explicit and challenging social injustices and inequality. But as my granny and mother used to say “dog a sweat but long hair covers it” because it’s only since I have been talking about my experiences that I realized the corrupt system that vulnerable people are still forced to live under whilst pretending life is “coming up roses.

Then they chat from the corner of their mouths what they seem to believe in their prejudicial minds about subjects like “MENTAL HEALTH Issues” that they have absolutely no knowledge about. I swear on the graves of my dead parents even though my papa did not like me cussing, that no one else is going to get away with trying to destroy me by blackening my good name and exemplary character that I developed all these years from my childhood like they did 2003 – 2008, over my dead body. When I stand up for my rights not to be discriminated against this time around I was labeled and targeted like they have done my fore parents. They tried to kill me off with a slow death over a period of a year like they did to the Slaves and what they are doing to the innocent vulnerable people in those war-torn countries.

I refused to get caught up in anyone’s Religion and Politics except my own, but like in Biblical days, these evil people held me captives over a year… My health is adversely affected, my life crumbled despite me giving up my RIGHTS in order that I could survive and provide for my basic needs. They stripped me of my dignity taking away what means the most in the world to me. Then despite me leaving to save my life, they turn around blocking every chance for me to recover. So who the bloody hell can now tell me to turn the other cheek because not even my papa who lived his life to the Bible teaching would have done. He stood up and told them what he thought of those who went too far, come out from amongst them and be separated. He found solace and comfort somewhere else where others respected him for who he was and not forcing their rhetoric down his throat.

I am getting my life back on track with support from professionals but there are vultures out there waiting to pounce to eat the flesh from my body. Therefore I refused to be exploited anymore and will not fall prey to them. So whilst I repair myself with professional support because I can no longer do it on my own. There are the traumas that although can be repaired and controlled can’t be cured. In the meantime, I have developed my own strategies to help me get back to optimum health. I am building up a Support Network so I never ever feel I am alone with my problems and can have others to turn to when I hit Crisis Point. In the meantime Memo to Exploiters: Sod off I don’t need any of you trying to make my situation worse. I am an honest God fearing person going through a period of upheavals in my life, but the detractors are responsible.

All those of you who are consciously or subconsciously prejudiced against people you are prepared to judge can go take a flying jump off somewhere. I am capable of writing my own stories thanks to the “Open University” and all the other people like teachers, in particular, Ms. UNA PERRY from my early years who influenced my life. I might have to accept that because of the prejudices of some who view my knowledge, values, and beliefs as threats to their incompetence, I may never work again. But I have no intention of giving up and in the long run, someone will have to pay.

Do I hear anyone raising questions starting the debates about Repatriations and Funding of Prisons in Jamaica? I am all for open debates as we enjoy Freedom of Speech unlike those who GAGGED me for exercising my Rights not to be Discriminated against. Then when they finished and couldn’t come up with any legal reasons to overcome me they lied again using their CONTRACT to threaten me and using illegal methods to try and frighten me into submission. But I will still survive to tell my story as I celebrate the life of one local hero from the place of my birth, Townhead, Mr. Massy Welch.

If wishing I knew before about your dedication and courage putting your life on the line to give me the freedom that I deserve was something I could backdated, I would gladly do so. But at the same time, I might have to argue, that I may not have been prepared and ready like I am now to write even this little story about your life. Coming to the UK has given me the opportunity to shape a life that was blighted and where I never had the self-confidence to change the deficits and limitations that blighted my life. But I am free at last and maybe my experiences over the past year are just another learning curve showing me the resilient person who I am.

Credit, of course, go to my parents and all the other persons who played their roles in my development, from childhood to where I am now. So I am privileged to use your story the little I know to make others aware of what I am going through. Proud to be a West- More- Light unearthing the story about the life and times of our worthy people for all to appreciate.

On Remembrance Sunday I join hands and heart to salute the memory of that great man who was Mr. Welch! Today 6th June 2019 I join in with the celebration for all those who sacrificed their lives and make sacrifices for our freedom.