Some time in the year 2022, I wasn’t feeling too well. I decided to visit the Public Hospital in the city of Campo Verde in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. It was a beautiful little hospital with friendly faces, but somehow, I wasn’t impressed with the attention I received. Very little questioning or testing was done to determine what might be the underlying cause of my condition. The medical professional there quickly agreed with me that I might have been suffering from a psychosomatic illness – that is, stress induced.
The doctors and nurses there did run a few tests, and all came out perfect. They tested my heart and my lung fields, and the results were optimal. I was put on saline medication, but I was asked first if I would like to take the medication which was intended to lift my mood. After about two hours, the bag of saline medication was completely incorporated into my bloodstream. I went home and slept like a baby. For the next few days, I felt better, proving that my condition was indeed stress related. Around that time, I was having some issues with someone which I might write about later.
I commented to my taxi driver friend, Gil, that I was not impressed with the extent to which the doctors investigated my case. Gil gave me the perfect answer…the answer I was looking for. He said that many people, especially rich people, force their children into the medical profession because it is something nice to talk about, a good badge to carry, and pays well. Many of these children don’t have a passion for attending to sick people, curing diseases or finding heath related solutions. They were pushed down that road by the parents who urged them to study hard and then funding their education.
But this isn’t true for just the medical field. The problem is replicated in many other areas of life. Today, we have Presidents and politicians who don’t care about proper leadership. We have doctors, lawyers, dentists, mechanics, teachers, etc, who don’t exactly have a burning desire to do what they are doing. Some of them were wafted in by chance. Some were forced or coerced in some way or the other into that field of work. And some are just holding on until something better comes.
We can solve some of these problems by doing psychological evaluations on kids and young people, together with practical tests, and questioning, to determine what field of work they should pursue. Then, we should back them relentlessly to fulfill that purpose. That is their purpose or true calling. But even from a very young age, like say 4 or 5, parents can observe behavioral traits of their children and have an idea what they will be gifted to do. For example, I was trying to write stories for publication since I was 4 or 5 years old. It was a passion I seem to have had from birth.
Even though my father, whom I grew up with, saw these tendencies in me, he didn’t act on it or try to help me develop it. Instead, he tried to push me into different directions. Thankfully, I kept true to myself and my passion. I kept observing and learning from good writers such as Jules Verne, Wallace Wattles, and many others. I paid keen attention to the way ideas were expressed by experts in the news, movies, and other media, and I tried to formulate a high standard of writing. I have a special curiosity somehow for knowing the etymology of words and for learning languages. Learning a new language improves my ability in my native language.
Both of my parents discouraged me strongly and criticized me for wanting to become a writer. Growing up in the third world country of Guyana, it was difficult to get a publisher. And they used this fact to discourage me. But despite their hurtful, unconstructive criticisms, I kept doing what I loved the most, and God kept guiding me to my true calling. The advent of social media like Facebook, freelancing websites like Fivrr, self publishing platforms like Amazon, and web building technology like WordPress have all contributed to creating the writer’s paradise in which I live today. As the saying goes, when you’re passionate about something, “you will either find a way or make one.”
Finding success in writing was by no means easy for me. I’ve come a far way, but I have a far way to go still. Along the way, I had to do a myriad of other jobs…all of which contributed to making me a better writer. In 2012, I self published my first children’s book, “Angela’s Lost Turtle,” which to date has 18 positive ratings and reviews on Amazon. A few thousand copies have sold but it still has a far way to go. I can envision that book in the hands of millions of children around the world. In 2014, I used WordPress technology to create my personal blog, patrickcarpen.com on which you are reading this article. I kept improving it everyday and it keeps getting a wider reader base, attracting readers from every part of the globe. In the year 2019, I launched another personal blog, www.guyanasouthamerica.gy, which keeps growing with each passing day. On this blog, I’ve written articles that has touched the hearts of thousands of people, and people keep thanking me for telling, reporting, or sharing their stories.
I’ve received endless compliments about my writing style and expression. In fact, one time, one person suggested that I improve an article published by one of the national media houses in Guyana because he notices that my writing is “powerful.”
People are always impressed with the way I find a great context for my articles, and the way I include so many elements. But to me, it comes naturally because this is my passion. What if I had to hire someone whose passion it isn’t to write? Do you think they would do such a great job even if they were paid a million dollars? No!
A person can have several passions. For example, while my greatest passion is writing, I also have a passion for organic gardening and ruling. When I say ruling. I don’t mean riding around on a high horse. I mean organizing better and more effective systems so that people can live happier and more productive lives. I know the time will come too for me to utilize these passions too. I can see PC organics putting healthy food on the tables of millions of people, and profits into the pockets of millions of others. And I can nations around the world becoming richer and happier by adopting my methods of governments and maximizing human capital.
