Sadie Vernon publishes autobiography
The Angelus Press has published its first autobiography, the sixth publication of The Belize Chronicle Series. The book documents the life and work of Belizean Sadie Vernon. Ann-Marie was at the launching on Tuesday October thirty-first.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
It’s not everyday a book is launched in Belize and when it is, it’s not usually one which tells the life story of a dedicated and colourful Belize woman. Sadie Vernon made her life story public after years of recounting the memories.
Sadie Vernon, Author
“It’s a long term thing because as I went along I added and added and added. But now I thought, at the end of the adding stage, let’s put into a book so that people can understand from the beginning to where you are now, before you get too old to talk about it.”
At eighty-two years old, she saw In-Transit: The Story of a Journey, came to fruition, largely because she was encourage to put pen to paper for posterity. Eva Middleton, community advocate is one of the people who reviewed the autobiographical pages.
Eva Middleton, Book Reviewer
“This In-Transit: The Story of a Journey, the title of the book alone says a lot. We are here in-transit. It’s like passing through Miami on your way to Jamaica and that’s life. It’s a journey and what you do with life is what you will get out of life.”
And Vernon may have given more life than she’s got. Besides being known as a nurse, community worker and preacher, her greatest contribution can perhaps be felt within the halls of Belize’s educational system, most notably the school named in her honour, Sadie Vernon High. The school started in the early 1960’s at the YWCA building on St. Thomas Street in Belize City with only six girls.
Sadie Vernon
“I realised that the young people because of costs and there were other factors too, that kept them from getting it (an education), although they wanted it and they never said it. Sometimes you have to talk, talk and say you really want to go to high school, but you don’t know how you’re going to do it. Talk to some of the people who are in the areas that could help you and do something for you because a lot of you have talked to me and said that you want to go to high school. Then I started a little class and that went on. Then with boys I did the same thing. I realise that boys are disadvantaged, I still think they are.”
However, she dedicated most of her teaching years to educating girls.
Ann-Marie Williams
“What is your guiding principle in life? What exactly keeps you moving?”
Sadie Vernon
“I think I don’t worry about life, living one day at a time. I am not a worrier and I think that has helped me to pass through a whole lot of…When I tell people that this or that happened, they would never think so and I say why should I take it on and worry, learn from it and go on. I think that our young people don’t want any kind of bad experience, but those are necessary. Life is not all… Life is filled with all sorts of good, I don’t want to call it evil, but good and what we would call not so good. But you have to learn to live because it’s not always good. I do believe that even the things that I used to call bad, I see the benefits of why I had those things, they make me a better person today.”
And Belize is surely a better place for Sadie Vernon. Ann-Marie Williams for News Five.
The one hundred and ninety page book, is on sale at the Angelus Press.
