Why I had to write A History of Enterprise in Belize.
- Posted by mnoble
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On December 31 of 2008, I was in my pre-midlife crisis. I needed to find a business to support myself and be happy at the same time. Remembering my experiences of planting and growing sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, scallions, pak choi and other vegetables in St. Mattews Village, fresh out of University- and not making large profits – I was forced to sit down and think what agricultural venture would be a viable way to earn adequate sums of money that would enable me to enjoy a wholesome quality of life.
I knew that the markets in Belize were small and that exportation was generally out of my reach. However, I pondered the issue and realized that there was a gray area in between the small markets that Belize presents and the vast markets that exportation offers. This gray area is comprised of the large markets that tourism presents. But what could I produce? What new product could I bring to the marketplace that nobody was doing?
The last day of 2008 found me hibernating, thinking of what new industry I could start. Not finding much success in this, the idea dawned upon me to visit the National Archives of Belize down the street to see if there was information on what industries have been tried by previous bed ridden Belizean sadists like myself. This quest for information soon turned to obsession in my compulsive personality. Within a few days, the innocent idea of perusing the past industries of Belize morphed into a full fledged obsession of documenting the entire history of enterprise in Belize.
Thus, the following day, my New Years Resolution of 2009 was to write a complete History of Science, Technology and Business in Belize-come hell or high water. Things progressed well and the book got fatter and fatter. I too expanded at my waist.
The book and I expanded proportionately and I was forced to dissect the original book concept into three separate works. However, I never lost contact with my original goal of finding which new industry I could start.
The first of the books is just about finished and is about to be released. However, I want to get feedback from the Belizean public as the validity of my research findings and the conclusions which I draw in the first book, A History of Enterprise in Belize. Various parts of the book will be released on the internet in the coming months while the manuscript is edited, designed and sent to the press. I am going to document the birthing process of a book on Belize. Think of it as the first Belizean reality show.
Please enjoy this exercise and share your honest opinions with me. I await your feedback, as they give me a natural high. In my next post I will present the Prologue to the Book and thereafter I will show you the tentative outline of the book.