The Nobodiness of my Somebodiness (Edited since 1st Publication)

Photo by Shari Kelly (ikon gfx)

(Edited for Personal Reasons)

I finished my courses at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in December 2011, and graduated the following August 2012. As I have come to learn the hard way, Mass Communication (which I studied) is a FRUSTRATINGLY DIFFICULT field to break into. If yuh neva believe seh links run the world, and you thought merit and your personal achievements would get you around; for the most part--you can forget that! ESPECIALLY FOR MASS COMM! There are exceptions of course, but Mass Comm is a very "link driven" field.

Basically, I have had 3 jobs in the field so far, none lasting more than 5+ months** (WOMP!) with a few odd ones here and there.

**Okay, only one lasted that long :/
The others have been temp stuff... including the current one.

*Continuing*

As much as I'd love to tell you that I applied and got through for these jobs, (as glaringly short as they were) on my own merit, I can't. Each one came with me recommended by someone who knew me and what I could do, or with strings being pulled in some way or another. Now this is no knock on me, because I do my work, and damn well too, but it's proving really hard to settle somewhere. It also helps to make things worse that I've sent out so many applications and ain't nobody called me! >:(
Everybody wants experienced persons in this field, and no one is willing to take a guy with only a little over year and a half's cumulative experience since leaving university, despite having worked in television and radio, which both also entailed writing. I've even done photography too!

Alan Magnus - Picture from Television Jamaica's Website

It's the same story all the time when it comes onto getting a permanent job. The same old people in this field who refuse to retire--I love hearing him, but I'm coming for you Alan Magnus!--are the ones getting all the jobs. Wait deh. 42YEARS and 3 months?! And him nuh move?!!!! :O :O :O
WOOOOW. ANYWAY, these people just leave one job and jump into another, leaving us fresh folk on the outside looking in, lamenting about how doomed the job situations in Jamaica are. But, I'm cool though, *42years... my God!* I'm doing my best wherever I go. Eventually I'll settle somewhere.. hopefully... Maybe :s
Kinda like Alan.

LOOOL (See video--completely unrelated, but funny! You'll see why it's there)

Maybe, or I should say hopefully, I'll unlock my hidden entrepreneurial potential and go start a business! We'll see which one comes first, or maybe I'll do both. That's a whole lotta maybes *facepalm*

So... I ask the question, what does all I've written above make me? Basically, if you simplify it down to the root;

I'm a NOBODY!

BUT! Because in my mind I AM somebody, or you could say I'm planning to be somebody and I'm not satisfied to settle as a nobody, it doesn't bother me. I'm doing my best to get up the societal ladder. Soon I'll be a "Bigbody"--meetings, signing cheques, fitted clothes.... YEEEEEAAAAAH lol.

In the meantime, lemme tell you a little about my nobodiness to a couple somebodies. Break out your tissue folks, it's gonna get all misty in here *sniffle* (mek sure you know the ones on the safe list though!)

Time at a Particular Govt Office

Thanks to the kindness of my sister from other parents, and a dire need for someone to do part of the work she normally would while being away, I got a 6 week stint at a particular government office doing a little Public Relations work, which was mostly photography. If you know the name of that government minister, good for you, but, for those who don't know, I'll resist from calling his name. It does rhyme with "Merick" though...

One of my pics from Trelawny

For the 5 weeks of following this minister around all over Kingston and St Andrew--and as FAAAR as
Trelawny--all now di man nuh have a clue as to who mi be, DESPITE a formal introduction. (And if you're wondering how come I said 6 weeks above and 5 just now, I had to leave before the 6th to start working where I am now). If that man heard my name everyday, he would probably still ask who I am -__-

TWICE he called me "our [the Ministry's] JIS man." Not once; but TWO TIMES!!! Even when the actual JIS was there, he couldn't differentiate! It was never important for him to ask me what was my name, weh mi come from, or why I was there and not my study-left sister.

"Study-left": past tense of "study leave"--as in she did gone aredi. Not a real phrase? Well I'm making it so now! Not cuz I'm not Dr. Herbert Thompson; I can make up words too! (He made the word "nowness" around 2006; said its a noun... Meh)

Even though she's been there for like 2years, even fi har name him nuh memba. I guess when you reach certain levels in society, you don't have to remember anybody, since everybody knows you. That, or he's old. I won't even tell y'all the story how he woke up 8:30 for a 9 am press conference and arrived almost 10... Nope, cyaa do dat :)

The worst experience however, was on a tour of the Shipping Association of Jamaica facilities, as well as the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) and the Kingston Wharves. That day, I will NEVER forget.

*Coincidentally, this was the same day the story I wouldn't tell you about happened*

I was initially supposed to travel to our location with one of Minister's advisors; however, due to a mix up at the Govt office's HQ, I ended up driving. By the end of the day, I realized all things really do work together for good to them that love God though. I'll get to that in a while.

At the SAJ office there was a meeting, followed by a tour. I followed everyone around, snapping rapidly as a good PR person ought to do, making sure I missed nothing. Following this tour, we went on the tour of KCT. All my walking and snap-snap-snapping really worked up an appetite, and all the sitting and looking (while in a bus for part of the time) apparently got all the officials, big shots and Minister hungry too.

Tour Guide on the tour of KCT

We were taken to a designated room where some amazing looking food was lavishly laid out. Not only did it look good, but it did smell good too, and the black hole that is my stomach starting taking in the air in big gulps, in anticipation of what was to come. Or so I thought.
I watched as everybody was seated, by order of importance: big shots with big shots, medium shots with medium shots, and the smaller "pi-pies" with each other. Guess who neva get no seat?

After snapping a couple pictures, none of the govt. officials, some of whom knew me by face at this point, motioned to me to get food, sit on the floor; nuttin! Everyone was busy yappin', clappin', food smackin' and having a jolly good time! It got pretty uncomfortable for me, and my belly started to let me know it was not pleased with what was going on either. Good sense prevailed and I decided I wasn't gonna stay in there are act all invisible or like part of the décor.

As I said earlier, it was a good thing I drove, or else I would've had to stay and wait on everyone to eat and then resume the second leg of the tour and wait until they were ready to leave. Orrr, maybe in true slave fashion I would eat after everyone else left. Who knows?


I was informed later on by my boss (who was always very nice to me) that I was supposed to have gotten food. Oh well. It is fruitless to become lachrymose over precipitately departed lacteal fluid.

All those people will eventually get old and need someone to take care of them. For their sakes I hope it won't be like how they treated people like me who haven't achieved social status as yet. Imagine a former Minister of Government's caregiver waking up late, getting to him/her late, and not giving him his food on time, or any food at all. Tragic innit?

No Publishing if You're Not Important.

My last grouse about being a nobody, has to do with the local Newspapers not publishing my stuff.
Now if you know me, or know of me, you know I've written quite a few letters to the editor. Now I'm not tryna be selfish, and I surely don't think I'm better than people, but I believe good writing should be published and published devoid of who you are. I know lots of people send letters daily, but I also know when I write something really good. I notice politicians and prominent people's letters get published a.s.a.p. in BOTH major papers with great dispatch. I'm just saying though, it feels like my stuff aren't getting published anymore because the editors may be tired of me, or because they think they've seen my name often enough and have had enough. Seems like even the rogue email I created, they somehow know is me, 'cause the 3 letters sent from it so far have been denied :/
Idk why they told me to keep writing and they know they were gonna do this to me. I promise you. I haven't OD'ed with submissions! Bet if I was important they wouldn't do me that, or I would have a column by now... *sigh*

2nd Published letter to the Editor
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120219/letters/letters2.html

I love writing, and have gone as far as writing the editors about writing for the papers. The answers? No vacancy for me. I've also sent pieces I've written that weren't letters that they say they would read and give me feedback but they never did. Atleast I've gotten somewhere with it thanks to persevering. I've always wanted to be a guest columnist, as I've been inspired by the likes of Dr. Orville Taylor, Din Duggan, and Gordon Robinson to name a few, but I guess the thinking is that nobody wants to hear from a 20 something year old guy who hasn't done anything with his life as yet. Nothing he writes is that interesting, even if it really is. Sometimes what the established guys write aren't that interesting either. But they've "made it" so they can write what they want.

I guess it's just the system. I HATE IT.

Nobody wants to give up-and-comers a chance. Well, that means only one thing. I have to make them remember me. Any little opportunity I get, I will be the best and I will do my best. Until then, I will never settle for being I nobody. I am already somebody. All these "other bodies" just don't know it yet.



Election Coverage 2011

Job 14:14 - "...all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." (KJV)