Greetings!

Once again, I draw upon another of those loaded Latin phrases that have given succinct expression, to the larger than life goals and dreams of many, within my own and earlier generations. That the terse richness of these phrases, have given meaning and direction to the journey and goal of many an educational institution is unquestioned. If the truth be told, after Latin was declared a dead language and removed from modern curriculums, these phrases lived on in their impact on the evolving worldviews of grateful students, long after they exited the hallowed corridors of the institutions, where they encountered them.

My introduction to Carpe Diem was in 1971, when I entered my alma mater Morant Bay High School. It is the motto of that institution, which by the way, is this week celebrating its 60^th anniversary of providing opportunities for advancement through education, for the children and young people of St. Thomas, the parish arguably left out or behind by successive administrations, with respect to[rural] development. Those opinions, however, constitute content for a different topic – to be engaged perhaps, on another occasion.  What I hope to do today is give you a peek into how the words of my school’s motto, continue to challenge and shape my personhood, even in these afternoon years…helping to infuse meaning and purpose to the woman that I am…still becoming.

Many have interpreted Carpe Diem as grasp the opportunity and to a large extent they are correct!  A literal translation of the words however, renders them pluck or better, seize the day! While there are hedonistic overtones underlying its original usage, the founders of my alma mater had no such notions in adopting it as the institution’s motto. In fact, I daresay [from personal experience as queen of detentions], the idea of anything remotely resembling hedonism or a good time, was in all likelihood, light years from their minds. These words were highlighted to remind students, upon every mention or even the sight of them, of life’s unpredictability and hence, the imperative of seizing the day…in the quest towards actualizing God-given potentialities.

Well, to cut a long story short, my initial flirtation and subsequent deepening relationship with those words, began after leaving school [the word graduation seems ill-fitting]. My back firmly propped against a wall of wasted time and non-achievement, I was staring into the future: the only certainty being…no one was going to offer me a bye. It began to dawn upon my befuddled psyche that more than cursory attention to the content and method of my preparation for anything that could be considered worthwhile, would have to be given. How I responded to that unfolding clarity, would determine whether the fetal stirrings I was sensing were of the immanent birthing of a self-actualizing me, or the onset of the spontaneous abortion, of a worthless entity. I knew in that moment [and over time], that I would have to grab hold of every day as divine gift: another opportunity to embrace life…perceiving beyond its challenges, opportunities for advancement. By that I refer not so much to upward social mobility, but rather the inward journey that enables communion with the divine, issuing in knowledge of true self, replete with innumerable possibilities.

So…the journey continues and with it, challenges of Carpe Diem…seizing every day, opportunities to partner with the omnipotent, omniscient creator of the universe and ground of my being, in bringing to birth, that which was there, even before my parents and the world beheld me.

Feels like a sequel may be in the offing; we’ll see…

Grace+