Every encounter with another human being changes us, sometimes profoundly, but most often in just tiny, incidental increments. Yesterday I had one of those encounters that altered the way I will move forward in the world. Because of the roughly 60 minutes I spent with a 15-year-old girl from suburban Kingston, I will now conduct myself with more courage, more compassion and more awe for the resilience of the human spirit.

I am working with a media outlet called Global Reporters for the Caribbean/18 Degrees North on a story on Jamaican youth. I don’t want to reveal too much, but the subject matter has to do with youth who have been in adult prison. This young woman I talked to yesterday spent three months in a federal, adult prison. Her crime? She ran away from home for two weeks to visit her father, so she was deemed “uncontrollable.” This is a legal designation the government employs to take custody of Jamaican youth who having negative contacts with the law. I was left both shaken up and in awe of this young woman and what she has been through and how she is managing to get her life back.

I also interviewed Lt. Col. Sean Prendergast, Commissioner for the Department of Correctional Services. He also had a lot to say, most of which was very polite, neutral and general.

At first, I felt a little rusty doing interviews yesterday, especially because I have not done much television. It came back to me though. I was even able to conduct the interview with the 15-year-old in Patois (only her, not me) and understand about 95 per cent of what she said. (I cannot reveal her identity, but when we were discussing what pseudonym she could use, she first suggested “Kim”. Then she decided that no, too many people are named Kim. I then jokingly suggested using a ‘white girl name’ that not many Jamaicans have, like Kate. She liked that, so she will be known as “Kate” for the story.) The cameraman’s assistant asked me after if I got everything she had said, and I realized that I did, in fact. He was impressed, especially when I said I’ve been in Jamaica just over a year. This was a nice end to a whirlwind day.

Check out more about GRC/18 Degrees North here:
http://www.18degreesnorth.tv
Twitter @18DegreesNorth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/18-Degrees-North/500827133307854?fref=ts
YouTube to show reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va_DWKyOR6o

Stay tuned for the story.