Tag: #IslandWisdom
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Di olda di bull, di stiffer di horn
In Praise of the Backbone That Only Experience Builds There is a softness that comes with youth, a necessary openness, a willingness to take things in without yet having the framework to evaluate every claim or challenge every assumption. The young bull is impressive. Its strength is visible. Its energy commands attention. It carries the…
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Stone Deh a River Bottom Long Time, But It Still Cyaan Turn Sponge
On waiting for change that only intention can bring, There is a stone sitting at the bottom of a river. Water has flowed over it for years, perhaps even generations. The current has smoothed its rough edges and changed its appearance. Yet if you reach into the river and pick it up, it is still…
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Nuh mek di same rope wah tie goat tie yuh
Learning From What Has Already Constrained Others You have seen the rope before. Maybe you have watched a coworker step into the same problems that pushed the last person out of the role. Maybe you have watched a friend keep choosing the same kind of relationship, with the same exciting beginning and the same painful…
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Not because puss have long tail mek him dog
On Seeing People and Situations for What They Actually Are There’s a quiet kind of mistake that causes more trouble than most people expect. It happens when we look at someone or a situation and fill in the gaps with what we hope is true instead of what’s actually there. A cat with a long tail…
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Jackass Say Di Worl’ Nuh Level
Life Isn’t Always Fair…So We Choose Compassion This past Christmas and New Year’s unfolded in the shadow of Hurricane Melissa. For many Jamaicans, the aftermath was devastating: some were left staring at the sky where their roofs once stood, surrounded by the soaked wreckage of their homes. Others saw their farming livelihoods wiped out, and…
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Honoring Jamaican Taínos
Why I Don’t Recognize Columbus Day. I remember being taught as a young child about the fearless adventurer Christopher Columbus who traversed the unknown to “discover” the “New World”, including Jamaica. He was celebrated for: By the time I got to high school, our education system had started to shed the residues of our colonial…
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Cock Mout’ Kill Cock
When Your Words Become Your Worst Enemy There’s something magnificent about a rooster at dawn. The way he stands tall, throws back his head, and announces to the world that a new day has arrived. His crow carries confidence, authority, the unmistakable sound of someone who believes he rules his domain. But in Jamaica, there’s…
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Time Longa Dan Rope
Trusting the Process, Holding the Faith, and Waiting Well “Time longa dan rope,” the elders say. It’s not just a proverb. It’s a balm; a quiet assurance for souls tired of waiting. In English, it means time is longer than rope no matter how twisted, tangled, or tight the situation feels, time outlasts it. Time…
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Hog Seh ‘Di More Yuh Look, Di Less Yuh See
Looking Isn’t Always Seeing Jamaican proverbs often use animals to deliver sharp social commentary, and “Hog seh ‘di more yuh look, di less yuh see” is no exception. This pig-inspired gem reminds us that appearances can be deceptive, and the more we scrutinize something without understanding it, the more confused we may become. This post explores the meaning…
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No Mug Nuh Bruk, No Coffee Nuh Dash Weh
Keep Calm and Sip On — When Everything’s Actually Okay The Gentle Genius of This Proverb Some Jamaican proverbs are thunderclaps—bold, direct, and full of fire. But “No mug nuh bruk, no coffee nuh dash wey”is more of a whisper. A warm voice from your granny’s rocking chair reminding you: Don’t panic. Everything is still…