In high school we had to take a 'Creative Writing' class. I didn't enjoy it. Having to write 'creatively' seemed ridiculous. All writing is a creative exercise. Telling a story, fiction or non-fiction is 'creative'. I didn't right much but I had stories swirling in my head!
In broadcast school at Conestoga College we learned that before we could speak we had to write. That was true for the newscasters as well as the radio DJ's. At my radio gig in Guelph, I learned to write what I planned to say before I flipped on the microphone. Great experience!
In 2005 I took up blogging. It was the dawn of Social Media and online blogs were all the rage. My first posts were awful! Thank you to those of you who endured my early ramblings. But I stuck at it. Writing allowed me to get stuff off my chest.
Writing this third book, 'Growing Up: Canadian Jamaican' was cathartic! It's raw! Writing the stories was the easy part...pulling the trigger on publishing it was hard. I hope you enjoy reading the stories from growing up in Jamaica and Canada. I'll be ecstatic if I can help even one person!
Until next time...
Individual or business, people are talking about you online. And your reputation lives in multiple places: Instagram, Facebook Twitter and LinkedIn are the big sites. Every time you same something positive or negative, or it's said about you, your Sentiment score is adjusted.
Last year I made a concerted effort to curate my online reputation (I posted a series of articles on the exercise, this is conclusion: Branding Exercise Concluded - Now What?) It was an eye opener! Websites and Social Media channels from years ago were still being indexed by Search Engines and affecting my online reputation score. I scrubbed them all, updated content everywhere and plugged as many risks as I could. It worked! Now when you search 'Chris Morales' you'll get a much cleaner online view.
It was a lot of work. When I'm ready to move forward again, I'll sign up with a monitoring service. More thorough and consistent. One Canadian company offering multiple services is Reputation.ca. They have services for just about every level of need across a wide range of online reputation management.
Until next time...
Chris Morales
Despite the absence of Mercedes Benz and Volvo, two iconic and aspirational brands, the 2020 Toronto International Auto Show was a hit with me. It's always a thrill to get up and close with the latest and shiniest new models and this year was just as exciting. Here are some takeaways:
- Trucks and SUV's really do rule the roads. Wow...nobody produces cars anymore. Seriously! Other than the Toyota Camry and some VW models, cars were not the stars of the show.
- Why do so many vehicles have an iPad stuck awkwardly on the dash. Oops...my bad...that's the interactive display. Can't the vehicle manufacturers figure out how to integrate these yet?
- Trucks are ridiculous for most people. Unless you have a serious work need, a pickup truck with an exposed bed is just plain stupid. Buy an SUV instead.
Some of the vehicles I loved:
- The VW Arteon. Weird name, fabulous vehicle! Thinly disguised Audi fastback at a fraction of the price.
- Subaru Impreza. Sitting behind the wheel just felt right!
- Toyota Camry. Nice vehicle. Love the overall appearance. Loose the two-tone paint job though.
The biggest surprise for me was Hyundai. It was the busiest booth by a large margin on the Saturday morning we visited. The bad old days are way behind them...most of the Hyundai cars and SUV's look fabulous! And they are priced well! I even, dare I admit it, lusted after a couple of models! What...? Has Hyundai become an aspirational brand?
One final observation: I love the variety of the headlight designs. Wild and crazy!
Until next time...
'Growing Up: Canadian Jamaican'. These are stories from my life: From my earliest years growing up in Jamaica, to growing up again in Canada as a teenager. Looking back on my journey, I can now say that I loved my my hybrid upbringing. But there were times when I resented being caught between two cultures.
I wrote this book to help young people, particularly those recently arrived in Canada, navigate their own journey. But the stories apply to anyone at any age who is struggling with their personal identity. I hope you find one or two that resonate with you. If you do, please share with someone who could benefit.
Introduction
I got stuck at age 12 growing up in Jamaica. Two years later it began again in Canada. Mentally and emotionally I tumbled between honouring my Jamaican heritage while fitting into my Canadian world. “Who are you?” we were asked repeatedly. “It depends…” was my answer to that question.
With my upbringing, I didn’t identify with the typical ‘Jamaican’. In Jamaica we lived in the affluent suburbs outside of the capital city of Kingston. We went to Catholic private schools. We played and partied behind gated and walled yards. We travelled in comfort between these compounds. Looking back, it was an isolated and privileged upbringing. The crack was working with Dad at his Gas Station on the edge of Trench Town, a world class ghetto!
In Canada we were jolted into middle-class life in the suburbs of Mississauga far from the Jamaican Hood. We visited family and friends in their homes in Brampton and Markham. We didn’t attend any of the traditional Caribbean or Jamaican events or activities. Actively stayed away! It was working class more than the upper class.
And we were different. We could ‘Pass’ until we spoke. Then the Jamaican accent gave us away.I’ve grown into a Canadian Jamaican accepted by friends and business associates.
Along the way I found my inner strength. I’ve used it to help myself and others. This book pulls together a number of stories from my journey. I hope you find one or two that resonate with you. If you do, please share with someone who may need help on their growing up journey.
Click this link to buy a copy of 'Growing Up: Canadian Jamaican'. Both eBook and Paperback available.
Until next time...
