Fruit

When my friend asked what I'm looking forward to in the New Year, I almost instantly responded: fruit. The answer surprised me, but it was so true. This year, I'm looking forward to fruit.

When most people think about fruit, they see it as something you receive after working or waiting. That makes sense — it's the basic agricultural process: plant a seed, water it, nurture it, and eventually it bears fruit. In practice, I've heard fruit described as money, homes, job opportunities, relationships, championship wins, or NIL deals. All things seen as proof of effort. All things that happen to you.

Yet when I say fruit, I mean what I will produce, what I will create, in the year ahead. That distinction matters to me.

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For the past nine years, I've been on a transformational journey I could never have predicted, nor would I have chosen. It revealed a lot: unknown parts of me, convictions, toxic traits, suppressed desires, hidden talents. Now, as I emerge from that season, I'm not waiting to receive something. I'm curious about what I'll produce. I get to see me.

That shift in perspective is what made me realize the importance of being a fruit inspector. Not just recognizing fruit when it appears, but understanding where it comes from and what it will continue to yield. Because not all fruit is what it seems. As the saying goes, everything that glitters ain't gold.

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When I think about fruit, I think about ackee. Not just because I'm Jamaican — BIGGUP JAMAICA — but because of its duality. Ackee is Jamaica's national fruit. Put it with saltfish, dumpling, breadfruit, bammy, callaloo, and plantain, and you'll have a very happy Stacyann (or any islander, for that matter). Yet ackee can also be poisonous. If picked too early, it can cause severe vomiting, dizziness, seizures, even hypoglycemia. The fruit must naturally open before it's safe to eat. Otherwise, it's toxic.

Sound familiar? In a world constantly urging us to go faster, I see the same symptoms. A tree, whether a person, an idea, or a thing, may produce fruit. But harvested too soon, it can be toxic. The right thing at the wrong time is still the wrong thing.

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For years, people have told me what I "should" be doing: a book, a podcast, speaking engagements, tours, shows. Half of these suggestions don't even make sense to me — it's all banter. Still, I know I have something to say. In my own way. In my own time. Driven by God.

The past has brought revelations and a lot of unlearning. This year, I'm excited to see the fruit that will be produced. I expect it may look strange to me, compared to who I thought I was. But I'm hoping it tastes oh so good.