The document describes the author's experiences growing up on his grandmother's farm in rural Jamaica in the 1970s. Some key lessons and influences included: 1) He was inspired by his grandmother's hard work and self-sufficiency as a farmer, producing what she consumed. 2) As a boy, he learned creativity and risk mitigation through dangerous practices like setting mongooses on fire to protect crops, which sometimes led to field fires. 3) Experiencing the uncertainties of farming, like variable weather and market conditions, taught him to deal with lack of control and see challenges as opportunities. 4) His grandmother's determination that her grandchildren be educated despite her own lack of schooling left

1. My First Job: Setting Mongoose on Fire
In the 1970s, I lived with my grandmother in rural Jamaica and she was a farmer. As a boy one of my
dreams was to become a farmer. At the time I was not sure what my motivation was to become a
farmer. However as I look back I can say confidently that I was inspired by grandmother’s positive
attitude towards hard work. Another wonderful thing I liked about farming was the fact that I always
saw what grandmother produced during harvest times and especially when she cooked her delicious
meals and presented the delectable dishes on our dining table.
On reflection, my passion for farming was heavily influenced by the socialist philosophy of Michael
Manley when he was re-elected as prime minister of Jamaica in 1976 preaching nationalism and selfsufficiency. Michael Manley was charismatic and he spoke eloquently about education, self-sufficiency
and independence. Since I was a little boy and I attended school regularly I did not spend much time to
understand his core message on education. However, in my boyish mind I had my own interpretation of
the meaning of self- sufficiency and independence. As far as I was concerned my grandmother was a
farmer and she was self-sufficient and independent. She produced what she consumed and consumed
what she produced. In a boy’s eyes that was as simple as self-sufficiency and independence gets.
As I grew older and studied economics at the University of the West Indies I learned that my
grandmother and many of the people in her community were merely subsistence farmers and the
practices of subsistence farming were rudimentary. Today I have a much better understanding of the
meaning of education, self-sufficiency and independence. Undoubtedly my perspectives and views have
been shaped by the valuable life lessons I learned in my first job helping out on my grandmother’s farm.
Be creative but be careful
Living with my grandmother in rural Jamaica I learned how to improvise and how to be creative. For
example to protect the cornfield from birds my cousins and Icould either set up a scarecrow in the
middle of the field or we could sit and wait idly for the birds then shoot them with our slingshots. The
scarecrow was made from two pieces of sticks tied together into a cross and decorated with thatch and
dressed to look like a human being. Using the slingshot involved risks as my cousins and I could
inadvertently hit each other instead of the birds if we were at opposite ends of the cornfield. Clearly it
was safer to use the scarecrow to chase birds away rather than the slingshots.
We also had to be careful when attempted to get rid of rodents. For example, to protect our potatoes
from being eaten by rodents such as mongoose we set traps. The trapswere made of a wooden crates or
cardboard boxes held in a slightly tilted position by a piece of stick to which a cord or string was tied.
The cord was about 30 to 50 metres long. We would hide in the field for the mongoose to crawl under
the crate and then pull the string tied to stick to trap the unsuspecting mongoose. Once trapped inside
the process of getting rid of the mongoose was a barbaric one. We would sprinkle the box with kerosene
oil, set it on fire and watched as the mongoose on fire raced across the field. Boys will be boys…we
enjoyed seeing the flashing light of a mongoose on fire raced across the field!

2. The mongooses were imported into Jamaica from India by the colonial government for the ostensible
purpose of eradicating rats and snakes which played havoc on sugar cane plantations. While the
introduction of the mongoose was successful in eliminating most of the snake population in Jamaica
they later became a nuance to farmers like my grandmother. Although the process used to get rid of the
mongoose was barbaric it was a creative one. It was also a very dangerous practice.
Occasionally in our attempts to set the mongoose on fire we would end up setting part of the field on
fire. The fire would destroy crops vital to our economic survival. Consequently, we learned how to be
careful with the placement of our traps and our use of fire in field. Very often when we are confronted
with challenges, we seek out creative solutions to our problems such as setting mongooses on fire
without due consideration to the risks. In seeking out creative solutions on my grandmother’s farm I
learned the importance of taking precautions which today in business we call risk mitigation. The
barbaric process of setting mongoose on fire was rudimentary but it taught me how to identify, manage
and mitigate risk from a very early age.
Don’t Count Your Chicken Before they Hatch
Growing up with my grandmother I learned a lot about uncertainty and the lack of control. I learned the
true meaning of the old saying, "Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch." Every year before the
planting season I would help to prepare the soil for planting season. We would use fertilizer and manure
to increase the nutrient necessary for better crop yield. Even with the best plan and best land
preparation, some things will not go as expected. Farming may be affected by the act of nature such as
too little or too much rainfall. Produce may be affected by rodents or other pests. One year you may
have high yield but a glut in market demand.
As a child growing up on a farm I learned how to deal with such uncertainties and lack of control. This
taught me how to see challenges as opportunities and to constantly search for solutions. In farming you
learn to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Each year we try to learn something from past
experiences. It taught me how to be tolerant and patient as nothing happens quickly in farming with any
degree of certainty and control. Today as a small business owner confronted by uncertainty and the lack
of control I patiently painstakingly seek out solutions for problems.
The Importance of education
I also learned the importance of going to school and getting an education. My grandmother never had
the benefits of an education but she was adamant that her grandchildren would get an education. I
remember one day watching my grandmother as she gracefully labored away tirelessly at her chores
humming to the tunes of “Amazing Grace” and “How Sweet Thou Art.” That day my cousin named
Denny came home very early from school and told my grandmother that he had a severe toothache and
that the teacher sent him home. I was just a little boy but I suspected that my grandmother knew Denny

3. was lying and she decided tochase him straight back to school that day. She grabbed a broom stick and
started inflict serious lashes on Denny as she chased him back to school.
Denny, a teenage boy, could not outrun our partially crippled grandmother with her fierce
determination and ambition. It was a rather comical sight watching her expertly inflict lashes on Denny’s
behind while at the same time counseling him and offering words of wisdom on the importance of going
to school and not lying. With each swing and lash of her broomstick, she needed to protect her thatch
hat or skirt from the wind, so she would pause long enough to expertly hold the hat on her head or her
skirt. Denny was defenseless. I guess he must have accepted each blow, believing that the punishment
would end soon as there was no way our grandmother could chasing him all the way back to school. He
was wrong because our grandmother’s determination and ambition fueled her strength and energy to
chase him all the way back to school. That day I learned that while my grandmother took great pride in
her work as farmer she wanted to ensure that her grandchildren reap the benefit of her hard labour and
the opportunities that a good education provides.I was one of her first grandchildren to get a tertiary
education and today I use my education and experience to see the beauty of the world.
Perseverance, Hard work, Responsibility and Humility
In farming, if your produce is not being eaten by rodents or pests before you harvest it, it may be
affected by rainfall or market demand. Despite the circumstances, when your livelihood depends on
farming you learning the importance of perseverance. No matter the circumstances you never quit. You
also remain hopeful and move forward. Growing up on the farm with my grandmother I learned from a
very tender age the importance of hard work, responsibility, punctuality and waking up early. I learned
the importance of compassion for our neighbours and above all you learn humility.
Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well
as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor. He can be contacted by
email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog
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