Staff Writer – Latoya Wakefield
Social commentary. Whenever others complain about minimal things and whenever I feel that life is unfair, I think about the man who lives on the roadside; the man without an umbrella. I saw Mr. Parchment a few days ago, crouched behind his makeshift bed while the sun scorched; looking as dandy and calm as ever and I wonder how does he do it? Compared to his hardships, many of ours seem like a speck. At least we have warm beds to go home to after a rough day. Basil doesn’t have that…
The last time I interviewed Basil, he mentioned that his umbrella was damaged. I told him I would get him one. He shrugged and said “if Yuh set suh”….I’m so keen to get the second interview done but what worth would be my word if I showed up without the umbrella? So I’m waiting until I can fulfill that promise. Several times I saw him at his little corner of the world on Mandella Highway, always alone, always clean,always looking out with relaxed features…75 years old and still going strong.
Normally homeless folks would be like a fly on the wall. Now I’m more aware of their presence and I truly admire their resilience. Maybe we can learn a lesson or two, maybe we should stop complaining so much about the insignificant things. Maybe we should love more, laugh more, give more. Maybe we should stop the maybes and just do it. We spend so much of our lifetime procrastinating, worrying,complaining,being dragged down by disappointment,failure,regrets that we don’t realize that being alive is the most significant ingredient in surviving. And as long as we breathe, trust that many of our obstacles are stepping stones disguised….Now, are you grateful to be alive?
Homeless Basil Parchment. Photo courtesy jamaica-gleaner.com
Join me next week for Basil Parchment’s Story Part 2. I wonder if he’ll like his umbrella in a particular color….hhhmmm.
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