Young musician uses talent to help his family

Oftentimes when faced with overwhelming challenges, most people give in and give up. It is said that the difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.{{more}}

If this is so, then Linton Squires, a teenage boy from Richland Park who attends the Community College, seems to be headed for success.

On Friday, February 8, I was coming down from the Kingstown Preparatory School at the back of the Post Office in Kingstown when I heard very clearly, the Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton being played on a trumpet.

The song was “Amazing Grace” and it echoed sweetly over the busy midday traffic, drowning out the lively chatter of passers-by and, as it were, muting the playful children as they ran back to beat the ringing of the after-lunch school bell.

Like other passers-by, I stood and looked in admiration at the young lad, clad in his school uniform, who was responsible for transforming the otherwise noisy city into such a tranquil one. Some of the people were singing along and others, as they passed, stopped and dropped money into a cardboard box, which was in front of the trumpet-blowing youth.

I realize that my little intervention was causing the gathering to disperse, so I quickly arranged to meet with Linton as soon as he was through that afternoon.

We later met in the studio of the Agency for Public Information where I work. The long and short of his story is that his family is having financial difficulties. His mom is a cleaner and his dad is a watchman. To compound their financial situation even more, his family had to take two small loans to pay lawyer fees to settle a land dispute in which they were involved. Linton, who is a first-year student of the Community College and his younger brother, who attends the Boys’ Grammar School, are usually the ones who will suffer from the situation, because they cannot attend classes regularly.

On the day in question, Linton said he was at school and was very hungry when he made the brave decision, without his parents knowledge, to go into town and play his trumpet to see if he could raise money to help out the situation. That was the first time he was doing it. I am so impressed by this young boy’s determination and positivity and I commend him for not going down the wrong path, but for remaining positive, strong-willed and determined, given his circumstances. I hope that his story can inspire change for the better, both for himself and for others who are in similar situations, and I wish him all the best.

by Shana Daniel

sdanielsvg@gmail.com