Caribbean District Conference - Editorial

Disclaimer - Please note that this editorial reflects the views of the editor - Opt Sylvia - and not the collective view of the Sunset Optimist Club of Kingston

It was with great anticipation and sacrifice that I ventured to attend the the last Caribbean District convention of the Celebrate Team. I am pleased about many things - among them

1. I learned a lot - about myself, my district, my club
2. I have every reason to be proud of joining this club and its caribbean wide and international family.
3. That the things that bothered me about my first experience was not the norm and that I can expect better next time around (I will not belabour these particular points as they were adequately addressed by Governor Adrian and Past Governor Eddie Wint)
4. That my club and its family at large gives me hope for the youth that we serve.
5. That the Optimist movement is not about hype and strutting their stuff - but about work, service, self improvement and yes, having fun too.
6. That in service there is joy and if you serve without joy then one truly needs to look at their motive for serving. In truth what should be looked at in this case is whose purpose is really being served.
7. That you cannot be selfish and be a member of this movement - and that if you are - you will be quickly dispelled of that notion

Attending this conference has afforded me the opportunity to continue a journey on which I had embarked, that is, an honest examination of myself and my goals. In Toney Olton's session further explored those questions which I had posed to myself sometime ago

Standing in the Gap

How will I stand in the gap between those who are at their present state of achievement or non-avhievement and their true potential. Who will stand in my gap? Someone once said to me - part of being a true Christian is knowing how to ask for help. I have always been a loner - trying to do as much for myself as possible without asking for help - and then usually at the last minute. What a hard road I had chosen!

Since becoming a member of my club - I have been on the receiving end of so much love and support - that I sometimes have to pinch myself and ask myself if it is real. At this point I have to thank my very dear friend and our Treasurer - Rosie Samuels - for introducing me to this wonderful experience. With my club family I have begun to realise that it does not have to be a struggle. As Toney said - there are six degrees of separation between where you are and where you want to be. In my case - I have found that I am just one phone call away from help at any time.

So for me - my club family stands in my gap - for that I am truly grateful. My intention is to stand in the gap of the youth we serve, to help to create that bridge between where they are and where they have the potential to be.

Legacy
The other question that I have asked myself and which was addressed in Toney's session was Legacy. What will my Legacy be, how do I want others to remember me and how do I want God to see me?

To understand what kind of legacy I would leave behind - I first had to consider my purpose in this life I now possess. I have been in the technology field since 1987 and in the year 2000 picked up back my arts (in this case poetry and my newly discovered talent for photography). My goal is to make these my primary source of income within the next two years. Why is this? Firstly - I dont subscribe to the starving artist theory and secondly I dont see why I cannot earn from what I love doing. Having said that - the technology field has served its purpose for me - and I can now apply this to my art to gain the best possible advantage. My purpose in this life apart from service - is to record accurately through poetry and photography my vision of the world around me, that piece of our culture that will become history, to see in the mundane something extraordinary and to display it to the world.

My legacy I hope will be a fulfillment of this purpose and that it will inspire those around me and those who witness it to move towards defining and fulfilling their purpose also.

What I want others to say of me when I depart this earth - Sylvia ( or Gina Rey) was courageous, never gave up, never lost faith and above all that she was generous with her time, and her resources.

How I want God to see me - That I lived a life of Faith, That my heart was clean and my intentions honorable and that to the best of my abilities I tried to live by his commandments and make this world a better place for at least one person.

To the other four people who sat with me during Toney's session - we have said that we will keep in touch with each other, try to help each other with our needs and so move one step forward. As we agreed - the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. I hope that having gotten back to our busy lives that we will not forget this pormise we made to each other.

In summary, I found the conference both entertaining and educational. The outgoing Governor is a force to be reckoned with, his enthusiasm is as infectious as he is serious about business. I think I joined this movement at the right time.

Look out for pictures soon.

One Love - Opt Sylvia