THE EDITOR, Sir:
THIS HAS been a great week for me, I was present at the Manchester Games on the final day of competition to witness the Jamaican squad triumph and also to see what could have been. I was also in Jamaica when the trials were on and I followed the World Junior games.
I have been to Paris, and we are still remembered since France '98. We have come a long way, wherever we are in the world our presence is felt.
I left Jamaica and came to the UK to attend university. When I was in Jamaica, I hardly ever watched TV and for me then, Independence Day usually meant a Public Holiday and that a trip someplace was imminent.
I was at home today and I switched the TV on and the BBC has a whole range of programmes celebrating our independence and contribution to the world. I felt so proud I cried.
I am aware that we have not achieved all that we would have liked, I am also painfully aware that we have a long way to go and develop. We need to start looking ahead and steer clear of the 'crab in the bucket' mentality, stepping on and killing everyone else to get where we want to go.
I feel proud to be Jamaican even though I spend half of everyday dispelling myths about Jamaica.
I am etc,
ANDRE MORRIS
AndreMorris1@hotmail.com
Notting Hill, London
Via Go-Jamaica
