J L Hurlston, CVO, MBE, JP, PhD (Honoris Causa) has just published a book recounting his life, even before he was born right up to the present day.

The book, “A Life that Counts” is over 200 pages long but I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down.

It starts with an anonymously written poem “The life that counts must toil and fight” and finishes with family photographs from years past.

The book is not just about Mr. Hurlston but has many written portraits of persons who he met and influenced his life. The vast majority of the names will be familiar to Caymanians and other residents. In the thirty plus years I have been residing on Grand Cayman I met the vast majority of them but really did not know them. After reading “A Life that Counts” I know much more about them.

Lem, as I know him by (Lemuel) was one of the first persons I met after marrying Joan and through our many years at services at St George’s Anglican Church, I can vouch for his integrity, his thoughtfulness, his attention to detail and willing to listen to you. Not once have I ever heard him raise his voice in anger and he has calmed many a quarrel. Yes, in church we quarrel!

Lem has had much to be happy about and also much sadness. Two suicides very close to him that thankfully most of us do not have to go through. The first was when he was very young and the second was recent.

“A Life that Counts” is a history lesson too. It also shares a few of Cayman Brac businessman, Burnard Tibbetts’ historical stories at the end of the book and starts with an Introduction entitled “Historical and Social Context”.

Mr Hurlston pulls no punches either. With great politeness he even informs us why he resigned his position as Chief Secretary and Deputy Governor.

There are so many roles that he has filled it actually takes up two pages. There are also a couple he has missed I know of!

The chapters of the book will give you an idea of this autobiography:

Chapter 1 Family History
Chapter 2 Early Years
Chapter 3 Schooling in Jamaica
Chapter 4 Marriage and Family
Chapter 5 Civil Service Years
Chapter 6 Retirement
Chapter 7 Post-Retirement
Chapter 8 Community Service
Chapter 9 Modernisation
Chapter 10 Lessons Learned

And Lem’s “Lessons Learned” is something we all can learn from, too.

These are the sub-titles:

Lesson 1 Be punctual
Lesson 2 Be responsible, respectful, and considerate
Lesson 3 Keep a perspective
Lesson 4 Keep busy
Lesson 5 Show care and concern
Lesson 6 Count your blessings
Lesson 7 Learn from others
Lesson 8 Don’t worry
Lesson 9 Service is a privilege and a choice
Lesson 10 Practice humility and wisdom
Lesson 11 Pray and follow your heart
Lesson 12 Lead by example
Lesson 13 Show respect for all and earn one more tomorrow by
what you do today

I cannot praise “A Life that Counts” more and I urge everyone to buy and read it. You will be rewarded a hundredfold.

There is a Foreword by Alan Scott CVO, CBE. Governor 1987-1992 and endorsements from Rt. Rev Dr Robert Thompson, Bishop of Kingston, Rev. Professor Dr Patricia G Kirkpatrick, and Jack Popjes – Motivational Speaker, Writer, Linguist-Translator who said, “Reading Lem Hurlston’s autobiography does two things for the reader: Lem was so thoroughly involved in all sorts of aspects of leadership in Cayman, that reading his autobiography gives a fascinating overview not only of his amazing life, but also of the history—both distant past and recent—of this amazing nation. How I wish I could have read Lem’s life story before I started my ministry in the Cayman Islands and the rest of the Caribbean.”

Mr. Popjes says it far better than I ever could.

The Cayman Islands book launch is on Thursday 9th June 2016 6PM Harquail Theatre