After a life of crime, and going in and out of prison, Charles Bush is on the straight and narrow, where he has vowed to remain as he turns a page to a better life.
Bush is among hundreds within the community celebrating Recovery Month in September, but he is one of a handful giving back to the younger generation who are making similar mistakes.
He recently spoke to several students, where he stressed the importance of staying completely away from criminal activity because it only takes one mistake to be trapped forever.
“I told them about my experience, my choices in life and it’s no ifs, ands or buts about it – you make the wrong choices in life you will end up with the law and hurting yourself, your family and those who care about you,” Bush told the Compass.
“[My talk] was well received by the kids. I basically told them that I had my whole life in front of me, but I threw it all away because I was seeking acceptance from the wrong crowd.”
Bush had dreams of being a firefighter when he was growing up in the late ’80s and ’90s in Cayman because that was considered to be a ‘good job’.
“They didn’t have all the professions they have today, you know, you can be a YouTuber and all that,” he said. “I wanted to be in the Fire Service but now, I just want to get into the community and in a programme that will help people, especially young people, stay away from crime, because prevention is better than cure.”
‘My biggest mistake’
Bush said that his environment and anti-social behaviour caused him to make bad decisions, and he wound up in Northward Prison on several occasions for a variety of convictions. He acknowledged that many people tried to intervene along the way, but their efforts fell on deaf ears.
“My biggest mistake was not listening to the advice from those who understood,” he said. “I didn’t listen to the people who cared.”
The seed of crime is usually planted in the home you grow up in and what you see can ultimately shape your character, he added. Bush recalled some of the kids he spoke to had issues at home, some becoming emotional when talking about their fathers.
“One particular boy told me that his father had problems with alcohol, and it was causing problems in the house, and I told him he was brave for mentioning that,” Bush said.
“Then there was another kid, his father did a stint in prison, and he started to cry because he didn’t think his father was a good person. I asked him who his father was, and I realised that I knew his father and he is trying to get his life together.”
Now his main goal is to ensure at-risk youth change course – something he is more than willing to help with.
“This is a way to give back to the community and I think this country is forgiving once they see you are making changes,” he said, while adding his gratitude to those who assisted him and continue to on his journey to being a contributing member of society.
“One thing I want to stress, that the services that are now in the Cayman Islands, the Hope for Today Foundation, the Bridge Foundation and Beacon Farms and all their respective staff and board members, are helping people.
He particularly thanked Silvia Wilks, lead consultant of Caribbean Youth Assets, and Senior Police Constable Stephen Myers, of whom he said, “he has selflessly [given] back to the community in many ways and has been a mentor to me, and he holds a special place in my heart; I have a lot of respect for him.”
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