Seeking employment

After leaving school, he went to St. Thomas, and then to Kingston seeking employment. But he believes the unusually pale colour of his skin, hair, eyes and eyelashes worked against him securing a job then and even now.

Not being able to secure meaningful employment, he delved into the world of poetry. His love for this art from began in school. One of his teachers spotted his promise and gave him much encouragement.

He was inspired by famous poets such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Claude McKay and Evan Jones.

He found solace in poetry. It was a means of escape from being rejected at school.

George: ?When mi a goh school enuh, true my thing (skin condition), yuh affi sey one away most time when recess and break time and de pickney dem gone play mi inna (classroom) a read a book enuh, yeh man mi ever a read man, and mi love poem too enuh.?

This love of poetry didn't stop at just reading them; he began to create his own, and has written many over the years. He uses them sometimes to express his experience as an albino, and to show that he is much more than what people see.

George: ?Because mi know sey a de only way that de people dem who discriminate mi a goh see sey well me is not like what dem a sey.? A few of the poems have been published by The Gleaner.

In one of them, he has a message for those who discriminate against him:

?Think, sound and walk right.With God to be your guide. For they that are filled with scorn and pride may never find the way to life.?

Abused life

George is surrounded by his family (from left) Georgia, Sonia and Georgette. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

For, on the pathways to his own life, he has been abused, ridiculed and misjudged by strangers. They judged him, but never spoke with him. Even so-called friends say nasty things about him.

But, the biggest challenge that he faces is to secure permanent employment. On many occasions, he has gone to find employment only to be shunned by persons whom he approached.

George finds that people who are less able than himself often get employed while he is turned away most times.

He has never been employed for any considerable period of time, and the odd jobs that he does here and there do not pay well. His frustration is echoed in 'Poverty', one of his poems, when he says, ?I speak in a clear voice, but no one will listen. I?ve sang sweet songs, but no one will dance. I?ve shown great work, but no one will pay. They want me to suffer my whole life away.?

He has spent his whole life, all 45 years of it, battling issues of self-image and social acceptance. He believes he is worthwhile. He thinks highly of himself and makes it clear that he is no idiot. But from time to time self-doubt creeps in. In his mind, he is ugly and wishes that his physical condition were different.

Getting permanent employment perhaps would not have been so challenging and people would have accepted him.

George: ?The amount a cursing wey me get through me is like this, and the amount of discrimination, if me wasn?t like this mi wouldn?t get that, things woulda better for me.?

Part of things being better for George is the whole idea of acceptance, which is very important to him.

George: ?Acceptance is one of the most important thing, ?cause nuh care what yuh do or who yuh is, from nobody nuh accept yuh, yuh nah say nutten yuh nuh, soh a deh same thing now happen to me at all times, (because) my acceptance so little bit or none at all, mi is like an outcast ?mongst people, mi stay to meself for hours and hours.?

CONDITION CALLED ALBINISM

The condition that George has is called albinism, which occurs when the body is unable to produce or distribute the skin-colouring pigment called melanin, because of one of several possible genetic defects.

As a result, albinos are born with pale skin and hair. In the most severe form (called oculocutaneous albinism), those affected have hair, skin, and iris colour that are unusually white or pink, as well as vision defects. The greatest danger that they face is skin cancer, because of the absence of melanin, which protects the skin from the sun?s harmful ultra-violet rays.

Here in Jamaica, people such as George are referred to as ?dundus?, ?yellowman?, ?malatta?, etc. There are many old wives? tales as to how they came to be the way they are, such as the one that George was told by one of his mother?s friends. She said when George was in his mother?s womb, his mother laughed at a little 'yellow' boy at a clinic. And, lo and behold, George was born looking just like the boy. Retribution? No! Though his mom never told him about her laughing at the 'yellow' boy, she would warn George never to laugh at people, and he always wondered why. Whatever the reason for it, the paleness of his own skin and hair has made him the subject of much derision, thus his reason for being alone for hour and hours.

In these lonely hours he dreams of what life could have been, but does not blame anybody for his lot, and is not a bitter man.

BORN TO WRITE

He wants to write to support himself because he believes he was born to write.

George: ?Poetry is one the most important things to me right now and nuh care what other work or what other thing I do in life, mi won?t be at the right place until mi do writing, total writing.?

With the help of a friend, he has put together a collection of his poems for publication.

He is also a budding songwriter, and a skilled block-maker. Decorative blocks and tiles for gardens and landscaping are what he makes whenever he gets the opportunity to.

For now, George, who ironically is called ?Blacks? in Admiral Town where he lives, might be living in the shades, but he wants to step into the light of independence. He may want acceptance and permanent employment, but the last verse of one of his poems sums up his hopes for the future.

?By then we will be true to each other. And then be our brother?s keeper. Then our lives could be much longer. And our ways of living much better. So the works of our hands can be forever in true friendship.?