I had higher ambitions for Krystal
THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE RECENT furore about Krystal Tomlinson’s pregnancy is not exactly occasioned by her unmarried status.
The core truth of it all is that Krystal has, whether intentionally or not, exemplified much of what becoming a woman should be. She is educated, ambitious, wellspoken and poised. She also seems to be disciplined, goal-oriented, and amazingly driven by her own ‘good gas’ vibe – the very kind she pumps into her followers on her social-media page every week.
In her own words, on her own Centre for Self-management page, Krystal writes: “Have you ever wondered what makes the difference between the average and excellent (wo)man? More often than not, it is a person’s decision to NOT settle for the mediocre or less-than-average life they’ve been presented.”
One would, therefore, expect that a young lady, who seems to have her head so tightly screwed on, would not have had an unplanned pregnancy and would not have settled into a very common, typecast seat – that of another babymama who is shacking up.
Forgive us if our ambitions for her are too high. Such will naturally be the case for a seeming extraordinaire. After all, she does describe herself as a “dynamic, deliberate and daring powerhouse”. Note her use of “deliberate”. It is suggestive of a studied approach to her life. Her present reality undoubtedly conflicts with this mantra.
Furthermore, Krystal is a public, motivational figure who works extensively with teenagers, particularly those who need continued guidance and support to realise their true potential. Hence, she has an implicit social responsibility to model the kind of lifestyle that any teenage girl, in particular, should aspire towards.
When she settles, in the way she has (in the eyes of many of us), we cannot help but feel disappointed. Certainly, pregnancy is not an endall. But we would have simply liked to see such a personally lifealtering development unfold under a not-so-common circumstance. Is that too much to ask of a national youth ambassador? SHAWNA KAY WILLIAMS-PINNOCK shawna201@gmail.com