Charles "The Killa" Whittaker

So, Charles "The Killa" Whittaker has won some title boxing thingy or another, in an alleged exciting encounter somewhere on the island, this past weekend.

Now, not being a boxing afficianado, I really do not care one way or the other as to who has what, and the consequences thereof, nor do I know the said Mr. Whittaker, but I do know that when I saw the headlines, I remembered thinking: "Charles, I am proud of you."

Charles has been relentlessly pursuing his boxing dreams despite insurmountable odds, and I personally believe that his fist raised in victory and the placement of that gawdy, tacky belt, around his waist should be his personal vindication, and a feat that should silence all of his backyard critics. Today, I had to deal with one of those backyard critics, who has demonstrated the crabs in a bucket mentality by callously stating "He so ol', why he doh' go si' down."

Ignorant heifer. Needless to say, she will no longer vocalise such a thought in my presence. Come to think of it, she may not speak to me again, but I really do not give two shits. Please refer to previous post on "Schtupid People".

Anyway, I digress...

Charles has worked hard, and I am sure that he has made his own personal sacrifices in chase of his dream, all without proper facilities, and government and corporate sponsorship. It has been over fifteen years, but I will always remember reading periodic articles about his progress overseas, articles no doubt submitted by himself to the newspapers, as no one here was following his progress. Longevity in Caymanian athletes is very rare, as they are often distracted or diverted from their course, either because of the lack of support, proper facilities, training or funding.

Charles is another one of those Caymanian athletes for whom we should wonder "what if": What if he had received the necessary support, backing and training from an early age, where would he be now?

Now that Charles has reached the "ripe" old age of thirty two, and has attained a personal following, the government and private sector are crawling out of the woodwork like termites to claim him, to utilise him as Cayman's own PR machine, as a method of putting the Isands on the sportng map. I do hope that Chares now has the necessary savvy, to use the leeches to this advantage, as a measure of securing his nest egg for his inevitable retirement.

On that note, I shall now exit.

Ta.

Afro