Category Global health and disparities

FMM 6 24 16 In the Dark

“Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom” ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  “Use your common sense, child!”  I remember being told this when I was young.  I imagine it was said in exasperation by one or other of my parents, probably in response to some obvious question I had asked.  Perhaps a […]

FMM 6 17 16 One Blood

“Fighting against isms and schisms”~ Robert Nesta Marley. Jamaica is a land of diversity.  Some are not prepared for the range of colors and races that co-exist in that small island.  The country’s motto is: “Out of many, one People”.  The outward appearance may reflect an origin in India, China, Africa, the Middle East, or […]

FMM 4 15 16 One Spark

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”~Aristotle Onassis. I once met a young woman who was too perky.  No matter the time of day, or the circumstances she was upbeat and chipper for no reason.  So annoying!  It wasn’t until I got to know her better that I […]

FMM 3 4 16 Grit in the System

“To love a place is not enough. We must find ways to heal it.”~Robin Wall Kimmerer. Nothing is ever completely bad.  There is always something to be learned.  I find myself at times mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, enjoying random photos and thoughts, stopping to smile at a cartoon or an uplifting thought.  Whenever I find […]

FMM 2 19 16 Productive Procrastination

“Imagination only comes when you privilege the subconscious, when you make delay and procrastination work for you.” ~Hilary Mantel. At work we often complain about the new generation, a set of young people who have no patience, no ability to wait for results.  As soon as they submit an assignment or complete an exam they […]

FMM 2 12 16 Upcycling

“We should give meaning to life, not wait for life to give us meaning ”~Stacy. Once, driving through the beautiful Blue Mountains in Jamaica, we came upon a bus load of cyclists perched at the top of the steep climb on the north side of the range.  They were assembled with the intention of riding […]

FMM 2 5 16 Roots and Culture

“The present was an egg laid by the past that had the future inside its shell” ~Zora Neale Hurston. Jamaica is a land of contradictions.  It is however a special place, with unexpected beauty, and a people of unsurpassed talent.  You may only get a glimpse of this if you stay securely inside an all-inclusive […]

FMM 1 29 16 Just Suppose

“People say I’ve had a difficult time in life, I think I’ve had an exciting time in life”~Iyanla Vanzant.   When my kids were young I attended a conference on educating our children.  One way to stimulate your child’s creativity is to suggest a scenario:  Suppose you had a space shuttle in your back yard […]

FMM 1 15 16 Each Perfect Moment

“Rage, rage, against the dying of the light” ~ Dylan Thomas In one of life’s perfect ironies, at a time when I am awash in a sea of emotions, I am also full of a cold.  Not surprising that my body should find a way to remind me to slow down, take better care of […]

FMM 1 1 16 One World One People

Guest FMM by Jabari I Powell “I hate math, but more accurately – I do not love division.” ~ #JonesGeneHumor HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Today is the beginning of a New Year, a symbol for new beginnings.  Often on this day we resolve to make our own personal changes and hope to keep true to them […]