Fit as a fiddle

79-year-old St Mary native takes a trip home

Christopher Serju

Gleaner Writer

PORT MARIA, St Mary:

WHEN HE left for America some 30 years ago, Ivan McCook had already done a lifetime of active duty, having earned the name 'Barber' for his decades of cutting hair. It was, therefore, no surprise that he would set up business in Brooklyn, New York, and today at 79 years old he is still very active.

"I'm still active 10 hours a day or whatever. I'm supposed to retire in Jamaica when I'm ready, when the time comes. I have everything set up. I should be (retired) now, but I still have a business in America. I have people working with me. I don't have to kill myself, but I don't feel like sitting down and do nothing, I don't want to get fat," he told The Gleaner recently during one of his regular visits to the island.

The very fit looking St Mary native was born in Preston Land and moved to the capital Port Maria where he established a business and earned the reputation of being the town's top barber. In addition to grooming thousands of young men, McCook also trained many in his chosen profession.

'Barber' was in a good mood when The Gleaner caught up with him and put some of his younger companions to shame, explaining that he still eats sugar cane the way he did as boy - peeling it with his teeth, all of which are still intact.

"This morning I get up and I do 20 sit-ups, I went to the sea. The sea, those things keep me coming back, the fresh fruits, jelly coconut, the papaya, the ripe banana, the susumba and cerasee," he said to the astonishment of his audience, some of whom were young enough to be his grandchildren.

reflecting

Relaxing in the company of friends and relatives, he took the time to reflect on life in Jamaica when he was a child, offering this philosophical outlook.

"When you are young what is going on is not much problem to you until after you reach certain age because of things you used to do sometimes when you were young, he related. "As a boy, you played with stones and things like that, but if you see a young fellow doing it now is like him doing something bad but you always do it when you were young, so you have to give them a break," he said with a hearty laugh.

"When them stepping over the bounds, you must let them know before them step over that them not doing something right, okay"

Clearly enjoying himself before heading back to the Big Apple where he has lived for the past three decades, Barber was already looking forward to his next trip back home.

"In America, you have to be on your foot all the time but when I come to Jamaica I take it easy, get to relax, go to the sea, the beach; I have time to exercise."

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER SERJU

Cynthia Serju shares something with her cousin Ivan McCook as they reminisce about their childhood days in Preston Land, St Mary.

Ivan McCook jokes with Gregory Scott about the days when he used to trim him, while their cousin Cynthia Serju gets in on the action.