‘When mi inna di dirt, mi feel good — elderly St Mary farmer
EIGHTY-eight-year-old, Stanley Pettigrue has been using a cane since breaking his leg late last year, but the elderly man, despite feeling severe aches and pains, remains active around his home in Bolt Hill, St Mary.
Pettigrue told the Jamaica Observer North and East that he broke his leg on the roadway leading to his community which, at the time, was in a bad state.
“It did stay bad,” he said, adding that the road was eventually fixed through the efforts of the councillor for the area.
However, months after the incident, Pettigrue continues to work hard.
“Mi sit down and weed out the grass, but mi not that strong again,” Pettigrue said.
The St Mary farmer who has depended on farming for most of his life said although he is not able to farm on a large scale, he has not given up working at 88 years old.
“Is it mi kinda live off. Mi can send go buy two pounds of rice and two pounds of flour when mi sell mi pineapple.
”And mi can give mi neighbour one,” he said.
The St Mary native, who celebrated his 88th birthday last month, said up to last year he worked digging pits.
“It was my delight to do that… all the pits around the area that need digging, is me dem come for,” he said.
He continued: “When mi in the dirt mi feel good. Mi and nobody no have no argument when mi in di dirt.”
He explained that outside of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) benefits, it is the money he makes from his farm which helps him and his wife.