Why Tessanne Chin Matters to Me

Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won’t suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when the person looks back-she will hear her heart – Paulo Coelho


Miss Tessanne Chin
Photo credit - NBC The Voice

If you’re living in some deep, rural place in Jamaica, plagued by a lack of basic amenities like say, electricity, you are forgiven if you haven’t heard about Tessanne Chin; (affectionately), the "Chiny" girl. Otherwise, what’s your excuse? If you’re paying even scant attention, I’d guess that she matters to you, she sure matters to me. Here’s why.

The first time I went to Paris, I travelled very low budget but decided that I wouldn’t let the opportunity pass me by since I was in England and could not otherwise afford the trip. I stayed in a little hotel with only a ‘face basin’ in my room because I couldn’t afford a room with a shower. A single shower served six rooms, but I wasn’t prepared to share so I made my ‘face basin’ work for me.

When I checked in, the young woman at the front desk spoke no English but we managed to complete the process uneventfully. My objectives were simple, see as much as I could, on foot, don’t get lost and take pictures, hopefully with me in some of them.  Years later what remains the most pleasant part of that experience was the broad smile which the word “Jamaica” brought to the face of the young woman who spoke no English and her cognitive declaration of “ah, Bob Marley”. It felt good, and it’s unforgettable.

In recent years our best and worst have been on show for the entire world to see. We cringed in national shame as “Dudus” dominated the world’s media. We sighed in painful disappointment and even disbelief as our athletes returned positive drug tests, in numbers too many to ignore. No I won’t say more, you have your own list.

If you’re reading this you’ll probably remember the sense of pride and joy you felt when a young Ardenne High School, Jamaican student named Jody-Anne Maxwell won the prestigious Scripps Howard Spelling Bee competition. Over the years we have enjoyed the usual respite from our realities when our athletes gave us joy as they proudly took victory laps, draped in our national flag. Or excite us with world class swimming gold medals and all, or ride a horse in the Olympics in a sport we barely recognize (equestrian), or make a name in a sport which we are scarcely equipped to pursue (bobsledding).

If you have not figured it out yet, Tessanne Chin matters to me because she gives me another reason to celebrate the best side of Jamaica. Maybe she’ll win the contest, maybe she won’t but what she’s achieved so far is simply spectacular. 

Thank you for taking the risk; for giving me another reason for, in the words of P!nk, "just a little bit's enough".