The motto of our island Barbados is "Pride and Industry" - three little words that in many ways capture the spirit of our people. For though our island is just 14 miles wide and 21 miles long - possessing few natural resources outside of its beaches and smiles - Barbados has been able to turn logic on its head and become one of the most stable and thriving island-nations in the world.
And there is perhaps no other Barbadian who lives up to this motto more than the ever-smiling, ever-achieving David Trotman. For this soft-spoken entrepreneur has made his every dream come true, despite not only society's odds against him, but also despite what others may view as his physical disabilities.
The youngest of four children, David grew up in the coastal St. Matthias district of the southern parish of Christ Church. "My mother left Barbados when I was very young, to seek a better life in America. And I never knew my father, so it was my grandmother who raised me," recalls David. But there is no animosity in his voice - no casting of blame in his intonation, nor "poor me" in his attitude.
"My grandmother taught me valuable lessons. She told me that I should 'nevercurse the bridge that I cross' and that 'if you don't have a horse, ride a cow'. But most of all she taught me self-respect and self-reliance," says David, smiling from behind eyes glisten with an assured determination. "To this day I live the things that she taught me," he adds.
When David was eleven years old his grandmother passed away - and sometime during the sad days that followed something very strange happened to his legs. "I went to sleep one night, and then in the morning found that I could no longer walk as I was accustomed to."
To this day, David still walks with a pronounced limp in his gait, but this has in no way held him back from achieving his every dream. "Yes, many people laughed at me and made fun of the way I walked," he remembers, "but I've always known that my abilities are so much greater than my disabilities. And though I pray for guidance, I know that I have to get up and pursue my dreams if they are to become a reality."
David has been a beach vendor all of his life, and started as a teenager selling coconut oil, and the conch shells and black coral which he himself would dive for. He met his wife Darla - then a visiting Canadian artist - in 1980, and together they ran the Coffee & Cream Art Gallery in St. Lawrence Gap for fourteen years. They became restaurateurs in 1987, and today own David's Place in the popular St. Lawrence district of Christ Church, just a couple of miles away from where David grew up. The restaurant is famous for its exquisite local fare, of which David's macaroni pie and pickled chicken wings are two of the many favourites. "This restaurant is a dream come true," says David, "for in the past I would always invite visitors to my home so that I could treat them to a true Bajan meal."
Today, David and Darla have been happily married for over twenty years. The secret, Darla reveals, is their trust and respect for one another. "Darla is very supportive, and we work together as husband and wife, friends, and a great team," says David. And with striking blue eyes that speak of understanding and respect for her husband, Darla is convicted in her belief that "there is not a person in Barbados that knows David that is not inspired by him."
Article written in 2004 and compliments of "Ins and Outs of Barbados" Magazine
by Katy Gash
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