News of the passing of veteran quintessential journalist Leslie Miles has hit me with a force, like the effects of a sledgehammer, and once again, reinforced a powerful intreat from Proverbs 6:4, “Don’t put it off; do it now.”

For over one week I tried to locate my late mentor, who gave me a very unusual break into journalism. I even called in to the Radio Jamaica programme Sunday Contact, broadcasting my phone number for people to assist me in reaching him, but without success, only to receive a late-night message three days later that he died two days after I called the radio programme.

The very day, February 11, that he transitioned this life, I penned a letter to the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ), asking the leaders to bestow a recognition on Leslie Miles during the next observance of Journalism Week and set aside a period for visits with journalists who are no longer active.

Miles, through his unique generosity in building human capacity, took a chance with me in 1991 while he headed the newsroom at the then Jamaica Record and caused me to be a journalist today. I do not believe any of the people today with the title “editor-in-chief” would have taken on an unattached youth from the country at this time, but he did, and I am eternally grateful to him.

Though he was trained, originally as an agronomist, wrote and produced songs, his foremost devotion and calling was journalism, which he used for the advancement of the underserved and those who could not speak loud enough for the powerful to hear. Miles was not interested in being in the crowds of fancy people and the cocktail circuit. That, in part, is the reason he never got a national recognition or that which is offered by the PAJ.

In 2022, when I observed my 30th year in media, I wanted him to be part of the celebration, but it never happened, and I decided that on the launch of my second book I would publicly recognise, with plaques, Miles and three other journalists who contributed immensely to my development as a journalist. His plaque will be presented to a family member, and I trust that our Maker will allow me to recognise the other people while we are alive.

True mentors never really die. Their wisdom lives on in the hearts they touched, and though he is gone, his guidance remains a guiding light on my path, and Jamaica is a little less bright without his presence. But his legacy will continue to shine in those who he shaped.

Miles was a guiding light who illuminated the paths of countless individuals, including myself. His unwavering belief in our potential, even when we doubted ourselves, was the cornerstone of his mentorship. He placed great emphasis on the the value of journalistic integrity, compassion, and resilience, and these lessons that will continue to shape my calling.

A special kind of pain is felt when people like my great mentor leaves this Earth, but the lessons learnt from him will forever be with me.

“Death is a reality, and what we cannot change, we must endure without bitterness.” — Lisa Wingate

Walk good, “Busha”!

garfieldangus@gmail.com